Calponin induces actin polymerization at low ionic strength and inhibits depolymerization of actin filaments

Calponin from chicken gizzard induced polymerization of actin in the presence of 10 mM KCl. Only 2 min after the addition of KCl in the presence of a 0.0625-0.25:1 molar ratio of calponin to actin, a Poisson-type length distribution (with an average length of approx. 0.7 micron) was observed with formed actin filaments. This result suggests that calponin-actin complexes served as nuclei for rapid elongation. Calponin caused a rapid polymerization of actin even in G-buffer (2 mM Tris/HCl, pH 8.0) which is usually used for depolymerization of actin filaments. Binding of calponin at a level of up to 1.25 mol per mol of actin was observed in the actin filaments formed in the presence of calponin at very low ionic strengths. When actin filaments were exposed to 3.3 mM KCl, by dilution with G-buffer, a rapid depolymerization occurred. Addition of calponin greatly retarded the depolymerization process and, in the presence of an equimolar ratio of calponin to actin, depolymerization hardly occurred. In the presence of calmodulin, this inhibitory effect on depolymerization was reversed by Ca2+, releasing calponin from actin filaments.