Salt-induced conformational changes in skeletal myosin light chains, troponin-C, and parvalbumin

Evidence for salt-induced changes in myosin light chains [dissociated by treatment with 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB)], troponin-C (TnC), and parvalbumin was obtained from chymotryptic digestion, circular dichroism, fluorescence, and difference absorption studies. High salt (0.6 M NaCl) protects the DTNB light chain from proteolysis, increases its alpha-helical content, and quenches the tryptophan fluorescence. These effects are similar to the changes induced by Ca2+ but smaller in magnitude. TnC is affected by monovalent cations in a similar manner. Changes in the alpha-helical content resemble the effect of Ca2+. The enhancement of tyrosine fluorescence reflects conformational changes in the Ca2+-Mg2+ binding sites. The increase in the fluorescence of dansylaziridine-labeled TnC suggests perturbation of Ca2+-specific sites by salt. Cancellation of this effect by Mg2+ binding to the high-affinity sites is indicative of site-site interactions. In Whiting parvalbumin, salt-induced a perturbation of tryptophan absorption similar in nature to the Ca2+ effect.