Monomeric Acanthamoeba myosins I support movement in vitro.

Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB were found to have molecular weights of 159,000 and 150,000 and Stokes radii of 6.2 and 5.9 nm, respectively. Both enzymes have frictional ratios of 1.7. Myosin IA consists of 22% alpha-helix, 32% beta-structure, and 46% unordered structure, while myosin IB is 16% alpha-helix, 46% beta-structure, and 38% unordered. Both myosins remain monomolecular under conditions in which other myosins form filaments. Beads coated with myosin IA or IB move unidirectionally on actin cables of Nitella. Movement requires ATP and phosphorylation of the myosin I heavy chain which is also required for actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity. Movement is inhibited by myosin I antiserum that inhibits actin-activated ATPase activity. These studies establish that these nonfilamentous, monomolecular myosins with single heavy chains of 130,000 and 125,000 daltons (IA and IB, respectively) can support actin-dependent movement analogous to that supported by filamentous myosins.