The mechanism of inhibition of light-chain phosphorylation by purealin in chicken gizzard myosin.

The actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity of dephosphorylated chicken gizzard myosin reconstituted with actin, tropomyosin, myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) and calmodulin was inhibited completely by purealin, 20 microM, whereas the activity of the phosphorylated and dephosphorylated myosin was not affected. Purealin inhibited the phosphorylation of myosin light chains caused by MLCK and calmodulin (IC50, 5 microM). On the other hand, purealin had no effect on myosin phosphorylation induced by Ca2+ -independent MLCK. The calmodulin-stimulated phosphodiesterase activity was inhibited by purealin (IC50, 7 microM) at concentrations very close to those that inhibit myosin phosphorylation. Kinetic analysis revealed a competitive mode of inhibition of calmodulin-stimulated phosphodiesterase activity by purealin. These results suggest that purealin acts as a calmodulin antagonist in reconstituted actomyosin from chicken gizzard, resulting in inhibition of light chain phosphorylation and the actin-activated ATPase activity of myosin.