Some effects of pressure treatment on actomyosin systems

Natural actomyosin, actin and myosin, have been pressurized at up to 150 MN/m2 for 1 h at 0 degrees C and examined 3-5 h later. Pressurization of myosin resulted in the formation of aggregates with a molecular weight approximately that expected for a dimer, whereas with F-actin depolymerization occurred. With actomyosin, a gel to sol transition was promoted. Viscosity and light-scattering measurements indicated that pressurization results in a large measure of disaggregation of actomyosin in solution. Pressurization of actomyosin resulted in a greater decrease in the calcium-sensitive, than in the calcium-independent, Mg2+ ATPase activity. The Ca2+ and K+-EDTA ATPase activities of myosin were inhibited to about the same extent.