Mycalolide-B, a novel and specific inhibitor of actomyosin ATPase isolated from marine sponge.

A toxin isolated from marine sponge, mycalolide-B, inhibited smooth muscle contractions without changing cytosolic Ca2+ levels. It also inhibited Ca(2+)-induced contraction in permeabilized smooth muscles. In native actomyosin prepared from chicken gizzard, mycalolide-B inhibited superprecipitation and Mg(2+)-ATPase activity stimulated by Ca2+ without changing myosin light chain phosphorylation. In the permeabilized muscle and native actomyosin preparation thiophosphorylated with ATP gamma S, mycalolide-B inhibited ATP-induced contraction and Mg(2+)-ATPase activity, respectively, in the absence of Ca2+. Mycalolide-B also inhibited Mg(2+)-ATPase activity of skeletal muscle native actomyosin. Mycalolide-B had no effect on calmodulin-stimulated (Ca(2+)-Mg2+)-ATPase activity of erythrocyte membranes. These results suggest that mycalolide-B selectively inhibits actin-myosin interaction.