The molecular structure of the fastest myosin from green algae, Chara

Chara myosin in green algae, Chara corallina, is the fastest myosin of all those observed so far. To shed light on the molecular mechanism of this fas t sliding, we determined the primary structure of Chara myosin heavy chain (he). It has a motor domain, six IQ motifs for calmodulin binding, a coiled -coil structure to dimerize, and a globular tail. Chara myosin he is very s imilar to some plant myosins and has been predicted to belong to the class XI. Short loop 1 and loop 2 may account for the characteristics of mechanoc hemical properties of Chara myosin. (C) 2000 Academic Press.