Binding of 30s dynein with the B-tubule of the outer doublet of axonemes from Tetrahymena pyriformis and adenosine triphosphate-induced dissociation of the complex.

The binding properties of dynein arms to the A- and B-tubules of outer doublets of cilia from Tetrahymena pyriformis were examined, with the following results: 1. When 30s dynein purified from Tetrahymena cilia was added to doublets deficient in dynein arms, it bound to both A- and B-tubules almost equally and formed arms along the edges. The overall length of arms bound to the A-tubule was 22 +/- 3 nm, and that of arms bound to the B-tubule was 24 +/- 3 nm. Each arm bound to the A- and B-tubules was pointed toward the base at angles of 55 degrees +/- 7 degrees and 48 degrees +/- 7 degrees, respectively. In the presence of sufficient amounts of dynein, the arms along the A- and B-tubules were located at intervals of 22.8 +/- 1.5 nm and 22.5 +/- 1.7 nm, respectively. 2. On adding ATP, only the arms bound to the B-tubule were dissociated from the doublet decorated with arms on both sides. The dissociated arms rebound themselves to the B-tubule after hydrolysis of the ATP. When several doublets decorated with arms along both A- and B-tubules were arrayed side by side, the interdoublet spacing increased from 14 +/- 2 nm to 17 +/- 2 nm on addition of ATP. 3. The turbidity of a suspension of trypsin [EC 3.4.21.4]-treated axonemes decreased rapidly on addition of ATP, then recovered partially. Observations by dark-field microscopy and electron microscopy showed that the doublets which had slid out from the axonemes on ATP addition formed large aggregates after hydrolysis of the ATP. The dynein arms were also solubilized from the axonemes upon addition of ATP, and rebound themselves to the B-tubule after hydrolysis of the added ATP. 4. The double-reciprocal plot for the ATPase [EC 3.6.1.3] activity of the trypsin-treated axonemes against ATP concentration was composed of two straight lines, from which the Km values were estimated to be 1.0 and 12.7 micrometer. The dependence of the decrease in turbidity of the axonemal suspension on ATP concentration indicated that the binding of ATP to sites with an apparent dissociation constant of 1 micrometer induced dissociation of the arms from the B-tubule.