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Protein arginylation is a post-translational modification with an emerging global role in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton. To test the role of arginylation in the skeletal muscle, we generated a mouse model with Ate1 knockout driven by skeletal muscle-specific creatine kinase (Ckmm) promoter. Such Ckmm-Ate1 mice were viable and outwardly normal, however their skeletal muscle strength was significantly reduced compared to the control. Mass spectrometry of the isolated skeletal myofibrils showed a limited set of proteins arginylated on specific sites, including myosin heavy chain. Atomic force microscopy measurements of the contractile strength in individual myofibrils and isolated myosin filaments from these mice showed a significant reduction of contractile forces, which, in the case of the myosin filaments could be fully rescued by re-arginylation with purified Ate1. Our results demonstrate that arginylation regulates force production in the muscle and exerts a direct effect on muscle strength through arginylation of myosin.

Background There is evidence that the actin-activated ATP kinetics and the mechanical work produced by muscle myosin molecules are regulated by two surface loops, located near the ATP binding pocket (loop 1), and in a region that interfaces with actin (loop 2). These loops regulate force and velocity of contraction, and have been investigated mostly in single molecules. There is a lack of information of the work produced by myosin molecules ordered in filaments and working cooperatively, which is the actual muscle environment. Methods We use micro-fabricated cantilevers to measure forces produced by myosin filaments isolated from mollusk muscles, skeletal muscles, and smooth muscles containing variations in the structure of loop 1 (tonic and phasic myosins). We complemented the experiments with in-vitro assays to measure the velocity of actin motility. Results Smooth muscle myosin filaments produced more force than skeletal and mollusk myosin filaments when normalized per filament overlap. Skeletal muscle myosin propelled actin filaments in a higher sliding velocity than smooth muscle myosin. The values for force and velocity were consistent with previous studies using myosin molecules, and suggest a close correlation with the myosin isoform and structure of surface loop 1. General significance The technique using micro-fabricated cantilevers to measure force of filaments allows for the investigation of the relation between myosin structure and contractility, allowing experiments to be conducted with an array of different myosin isoforms. Using the technique we observed that the work produced by myosin molecules is regulated by amino-acid sequences aligned in specific loops.

In this study, we show a method for direct measurements of force and simultaneous visualization of isolated muscle filaments. Single actin filaments isolated from chicken skeletal muscle and single thick filaments isolated from Mussels were imaged using fluorescence and dark field microscopy, respectively. Force generated by the filaments was measured using micro-fabricated cantilevers. Force values were in the range observed previously with myosin filaments and molecules. The results suggest that the technique can be used to investigate many issues of interest and debate in the field of muscle biophysics.