Purification and Characterization of Two Isoforms of Acanthamoeba Profilin

Acanthamoeba profilin purified according to E. Reichstein and E. D. Korn consists of two isoforms (profilin-I and -II) with approximately the same molecular weight and reactivity to a monoclonal antibody but different isoelectric points and different mobilities on carboxymethyl-agarose chromatography and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The isoelectric points of profilin-I is ∼5.5 and that of profilin-II is ≥9.0. Tryptic peptides from the two proteins are substantially different, which suggests that there are major differences in their sequences. At similar concentrations, both profilins prolong the lag phase at the outset of spontaneous polymerization and inhibit the extent of polymerization. Both forms also inhibit elongation weakly at the barbed end and strongly at the pointed end of actin filaments.