The purification and quantitation of myosin from cultured cells

Myosin has been purified from the following cultured cell lines: normal rat kidney fibroblast (NRK), HeLa-Rhino (HeLa), human choriocarcinoma, human acute lymphoblastic leukemia, rat hepatoma (HTC), monkey kidney (VERO), pigmented mouse melanoma, Y-1 rat adrenal cortex, and growth hormone-secreting GH-1. Myosin constitutes 0.5-5.4% of the protein of these cells. It was not detected in washed human erythrocytes or in two types of mouse plasmacytoma cells. Two methods for the purification of myosin from cultured cells have been employed. With Method I highly purified myosin was prepared by Sepharose 4B and DEAE-cellulose chromatography from 10¹⁰ L-929 cells as well as from mouse uterus. Those myosins have similar molecular and subunit weights as well as ATPase activity but are immunologically distinct. Method II involving ultracentrifugation and Sepharose 4B chromatography, is suitable for the production of moderately pure myosin in good yield from as few as 5 · 10⁷ cells (five 100-mm Petrie dishes).