Characterization of human muscle myosins with respect to the light chains.

Isolated myosins from human predominantly fast and slow muscles, human neonatal and foetal muscle were examined for light chain composition by one- and two-dimensional electrophoresis. The LC1F, LC2F and LC3F light chains were identical with their counterparts from rabbit fast myosin. Human LC1S was identified by correlative criteria as a single component having a molecular weight slightly lower than, but an electric charge similar to, that of rabbit LC1Sb. Consequently, human LC1S appears to be much less heterogeneous relative to LC1F than is the case with other mammalian species. A high immunological cross-reactivity was likewise observed, with antibody specific to rabbit LC1F, between the isolated myosins from several human mixed muscles and rabbit fast myosin, though reactivity was highest with foetal myosin (having a pure-fast-light-chain pattern).