Isolation and Characterization of Parvalbumins from the Skeletal Muscle of Higher Vertebrates

Parvalbumins, i.e. the low molecular weight, calciumbinding muscle proteins isolated heretofore exclusively from fish and amphibians, have been obtained in sizable amounts from the skeletal muscle of turtle, chicken, rabbit, and man. The finding that these proteins are not confined to lower vertebrates but have been conserved throughout evolution strongly suggests that they must possess a definite physiological function possibly related to the contractile process.