Purification of myosin light chains by high-performance liquid chromatography

Three procedures for the purification of myosin light chains-1, -2, and -3 from avian fast white muscle fibers using high-performance liquid chromatography are described. Two involve the reverse-phase mode, the other, anion exchange. The procedures allow preparation of microgram to milligram amounts of the proteins and are suitable for the study of myosin light chains in small muscles and biopsy muscle samples. The elution order of light chain-1 and light chain-3, two proteins with extensive sequence homology, is discussed in terms of the unusual amino acid sequence and structure of the N-terminal peptide of light chain-1.