One of the chitinase genes of Alteromonas sp. strain O-7, the chitinase C-encoding gene (chiC), was cloned, and the nucleotide sequence was determined. An open reading frame coded for a protein of 430 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of 46,680 Da. Alignment of the deduced amino acid sequence demonstrated that ChiC contained three functional domains, the N-terminal domain, a fibronectin type III-like domain, and a catalytic domain. The N-terminal domain (59 amino acids) was similar to that found in the C-terminal extension of ChiA (50 amino acids) of this strain and furthermore showed significant sequence homology to the regions found in several chitinases and cellulases. Thus, to evaluate the role of the domain, we constructed the hybrid gene that directs the synthesis of the fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase activity. Both the fusion protein and the N-terminal domain itself bound to chitin, indicating that the N-terminal domain of ChiC constitutes an independent chitin-binding domain.

Sepharose 4B conjugated with phosphorylated myosin light chains was used in affinity chromatography of a partially purified preparation of gizzard myosin light-chain phosphatase (MLCP) (Onishi et al. (1979) J. Biochem. 86, 1283-1290). The MLCP preparation thus purified contained, according to SDS gel electrophoresis, three components of 67,000 (67 K), 54,000 (54 K), 34,000 (34 K) daltons. In an accompanying report, Uchiwa et al. (J. Biochem. 91, 273-282 (1982)) described the purification of gizzard myosin light-chain kinase, which consisted of two subunits; 130 K and 17 K daltons. Using the purified preparations of MLCP and MLCK, it was demonstrated a) that reversible changes in the ATPase and superprecipitation activities occur as myosin light chains are enzymatically phosphorylated and dephosphorylated, and b) that addition of a very low concentration of Ca2+ and its removal cause reversible changes in the turbidity of actomyosin suspensions as well as in the state of phosphorylation of myosin light chains only when MLCK and MLCP are both present. These results provide strong support for the proposal (see Ikebe et al. (1977) J. Biochem. 80, 299-302) that MLCK and MLCP play a key role in the Ca2+ regulation in gizzard.

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