American Journal of Physiology, November 27, 2002 

The Effect of an ADP Analog on Isometric Force and ATPase Activity of Active Muscle Fibers

CHRISTINA KARATZAFERI1*, KATHRYN H MYBURGH2, MARC K CHINN3, KATHLEEN FRANKS-SKIBA1, and ROGER COOKE1

1 Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA
2 Physiological Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
3 Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF, San Francisco, California, USA; Physiological Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa

The role played by ADP in modulating cross-bridge function has been difficult to study, as it is hard to buffer ADP concentration in skinned muscle preparations. To solve this, we used an analog of ADP, spin-labeled ADP (SL-ADP). SL-ADP binds tightly to myosin but is a very poor substrate for creatine kinase or pyruvate kinase. Thus, ATP can be regenerated allowing well-defined concentrations of both ATP and SL-ADP. We measured isometric ATPase rate and isometric tension as a function of both [SL-ADP], 0.1-2 mM, and [ATP], 0.05-0.5 mM, in skinned rabbit psoas muscle, simulating fresh or fatigued states. Saturating levels of SL-ADP increased isometric tension (by P'), the absolute value of P' being nearly constant, ~ 0.04 N.mm-2, in variable ATP levels, pH 7. Tension decreased (50 - 60%) at pH 6, but upon addition of SL-ADP P' was still ~ 0.04 N.mm-2. The ATPase was inhibited competitively by SL-ADP with an inhibition constant, Ki, of approx. 240 and 280 µM at pH 7 and 6 respectively. Isometric force and ATPase activity could both be fit by a simple model of cross-bridge kinetics.

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