Functional significance of the conserved residues in the flexible hinge region of the myosin motor domain

Analysis of the three-dimensional crystal structure of the Dictyosteliun myosin motor domain revealed that the myosin head is required to bend at residues Il-455 and Gly-457 to produce the conformation changes observed in the ternary complexes that resemble the pre- and post-hydrolysis states (Fisher, A. J., Smith, C. A., Thoden, J. B., Smith, R., Sutoh, K., Holden, H. M., and Rayment, I. (1995) Biochemistry 34, 8960-8972). Asp-454, Il-455, and Gly-457 of smooth muscle myosin were substituted by Ala, Met, and Ala, respectively, and the mechano-enzymatic activities were determined to study the role of these residues in myosin motor function. Whereas the basal steady-state Mg2+-ATPase activity of D454A was higher than that of the wild type, the rate of the hydrolytic step is reduced similar to 2,000-fold and becomes rate-limiting. M-ATP rather than M-ADP-P is the predominant steady-state intermediate, and the initial P-i burst and the ATP-induced enhancement of intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence are absent in D454A. D454A binds actin in the absence of ATP but is not dissociated from actin by ATP. Moreover, actin inhibits rather than activates the ATPase activity; consequently, D454A does not support actin translocating activity. I455M has normal actin-activated ATPase activity, P-i burst, and ATP-induced enhancement of intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, suggesting that the enzymatic properties are normal. However, the actin translocating activity was completely inhibited. This suggests that the side chain at Ile-455 is critical for myosin motor activity but not for relatively normal enzymatic function, which indicates an apparent uncoupling between enzymatic activity and motile function. Although G457A has normal ATP-dependent actin dissociation, ATP hydrolytic step is reduced by similar to 10(5)-fold in the presence or absence of actin; consequently, G457A does not have actin translocating activity. These results indicate the importance of these conserved residues at the hinge region for normal myosin motor function.