The domain structure of duck gizzard caldesmon was investigated. A single thiol group is located in the vicinity of the C-terminus of the protein. A simple method for the purification of a short (21 kDa) C-terminal peptide formed after chemical cleavage of caldesmon at cysteine residues was evolved. The C-terminal peptide of caldesmon interacts with calmodulin with an affinity one order of magnitude higher than that of native caldesmon. The Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) transfers about 2 mol of phosphate per mol of caldesmon. All sites phosphorylated by protein kinase C are located in the short (21 kDa) C-terminal peptide of caldesmon. Phosphorylation does not affect the interaction of caldesmon with calmodulin.
