Calcium ion-insensitive contraction of glycerinated porcine cardiac muscle fibers by Mg-inosine triphosphate. ITP as a tool to dissociate the contraction mechanism from the regulatory mechanism.

The contraction of cardiac muscle that has been treated with glycerol requires Ca2+ (pCa 8-5), when MgATP is used as a substrate. In contrast, this preparation contracts, even in the absence of Ca2+ (pCa 8-10), when ATP is replaced by ITP. Ca2+ dependency was not observed after increasing free Ca2+ concentrations from pCa 8.0 to 5.0, or after increasing MgITP concentration from 5 to 80 mM. On the other hand, rabbit skeletal muscle fiber treated by the same method as cardiac muscle demonstrates Ca2+ dependency in the presence of both MgITP and MgATP, although this Ca2+ regulation is less in the presence of MgITP. Loss of Ca2+ dependency was confirmed by the finding that, in contrast to ATPase, the ITPase activity of cardiac myofibrils was not dependent on Ca2+ concentrations. Furthermore, the very fast tension responses (quick phases) following quick stretch and quick release were missing in MgITP, and the contractions were similar to rigor. These were not rigor however, because phosphate liberation from ITP continued, and muscle shortening occurred in MgITP. These findings suggest that MgITP dissociates the contraction mechanism from the regulatory mechanism, modulating the regulatory properties of cardiac muscle fiber.