The relaxing protein system of striated muscle. Resolution of the troponin complex into inhibitory and calcium ion-sensitizing factors and their relationship to tropomyosin.

1. A method involving isoelectric precipitation and chromatography on SE-Sephadex (sulphoethyl-Sephadex) is described for the preparation of the troponin complex free of tropomyosin from low-ionic-strength extracts of natural actomyosin and myofibrils. 2. Purified troponin complex required tropomyosin to inhibit the Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity and superprecipitation of desensitized actomyosin in the presence of ethanedioxybis(ethylamine)tetra-acetate. An upper limit of 35000 for the ;molecular weight' of the troponin complex was derived from the amounts required to bring about 50% of the maximum inhibition of the Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity of desensitized actomyosin of known concentration. 3. In the presence of dissociating reagents the troponin complex could be dissociated into inhibitory and Ca(2+)-sensitizing factors, which could be isolated separately on SE-Sephadex. The inhibitory factor inhibited the Mg(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity and superprecipitation of desensitized actomyosin independently of the concentration of free Ca(2+) in the medium. 4. The Ca(2+)-sensitizing factor changed its electrophoretic mobility on polyacrylamide gel in the presence of ethanedioxybis(ethylamine)tetra-acetate. It formed a complex with the inhibitory factor at low ionic strength and the original biological activity of the troponin complex could be restored on mixing the inhibitory factor with the Ca(2+)-sensitizing factor in the ratio of about 3:2. 5. Evidence is presented indicating that the ability of tropomyosin preparations to restore relaxing-protein-system activity to the troponin complex and their inhibitory effect on the Ca(2+)-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity of desensitized actomyosin are two properties of different stability to preparative procedures and tryptic digestion. This suggests that the relaxing protein system of muscle may contain another as yet uncharacterized component.