Vanadate (Vi) and ADP induced domain motions in myosin head by DSC and EPR

Thermal stability and internal dynamics of myosin head in psoas muscle fibres of rabbit in the intermediate state AM.ADP.P_i - mimicked by AM.ADP.V_i - of the ATP hydrolysis cycle was studied by differential scanning calorimetry and spin label electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Three overlapping endotherms were detected in rigor, in strongly binding ADP and weakly binding AM.ADP.V_i state of myosin to actin. The transition at 54.0°C can be assigned to the 50 k actin-binding domain. The transition at highest temperature (67.3°C) represents the unfolding of actin and the contributions arising from the nucleotide-myosin head interaction. The transition at 58.4°C reflects the melting of the large rod part of myosin. Nucleotide binding (ADP, ATP plus orthovanadate) induced shifts of the melting temperatures and produced changes in the calorimetric enthalpies. The changes of the EPR parameters indicated local rearrangements of the internal structure in myosin heads in agreement with DSC findings. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

DSC study of glycerol-extracted muscle fibers in intermediate states of ATP hydrolysis

Summary The heat capacity of contractile proteins actin and myosin was studied in psoas muscle of rabbit in strongly and weakly binding state of myosin to actin as a function of temperature by DSC. Deconvolution of the unfolding scans makes possible to characterize the structural domains of the macromolecules. We tried to approach the unfolding process in different intermediate state of ATP hydrolysis. The thermal transitions were calorimetrically irreversible, therefore the two-state irreversible model that describes fairly well the denaturation of different proteins was used for evaluation of the denaturation processes in muscle fibers in strongly (rigor, ADP) and weakly binding states (ATP·V_i, ADP·AlF₄) of myosin to actin. Deconvolution resulted in four transitions, the first three transition temperatures were almost independent of the intermediate states of muscle, the last transition temperature was shifted to higher temperature, when the buffer solution was manipulated. The mean values in strongly binding states were T_m1=52.9±0.7°C, T_m2=57.9±0.7°C, T_m3=63.7±1.0°C and T_m4=67.8±0.7°C, but the last transition increased to higher temperature depending on the P_i analogue.     

Thermal analysis in biological and medical applications

In this paper, I will sum up our research activity from this field performed in the last about 25 years. I will focus on three main points: basic muscle research in the different intermediate states of ATP hydrolysis cycle during muscle contraction, R&D activities to develop and test different dairy products and TA application in some surgical and diagnostic problem. Our initial research concerned the investigation of thermal stability of main muscle proteins clarifies their basic unfolding characteristics. Later we extended the thermal stability investigation from protein solution to the myosin myofibrils and to the higher organization of muscle proteins, the muscle fibres, checking the effect of nucleotides. At that time, it became possible to stabilize the different intermediate states of ATP hydrolysis up to the time of DSC measurement, using different P_i analogues (V_i, AlF_x and BeF_x) and non-hydrolysable ATP analogue (AMP.PNP). This way the targets were AM.ADP.V_i (and with AlF_x or BeF_x) so-called weak binding state, AM.ADP the “strong” binding state as well as the “rigor” AM complex state. AM.AMP.PNP state was used to mimic the AM.ATP state. With our R&D cooperation, a cold spreadable butter was successfully developed. We were a partner in the development of Ca-enriched cheese, in its spreadable form too as well as in the development and testing of different dairy products using probiotic cultures. Our TA activity covers a wide range of medical applications, e.g. investigation of the different abnormalities of human leg skeletal muscle, different stages of degeneration of human vertebral disc, to judge the goodness/applicability of different suture technique on tracheal cartilage in primary airway reconstruction or the characterization of different self-expandable stents implantation in the oesophagus treatment. We have joined those groups who try to use DSC in the diagnosis of different diseases from blood plasma, e.g. in the case of breast cancer, melanoma, in psoriasis.     

DSC and EPR study on AMP.PNP,BeFx and AlF4 containing myosin nucleotide complexes

Differential scanning calorimetry and electron paramagnetic resonance experiments were performed on glycerinated skeletal muscle fibres to study the effect of the binding of nucleotides and nucleotide analogues to myosin. The thermal unfolding of muscle fibres in rigor showed three discrete domain regions with thermal stability of 52.2, 58.8 and 67.8°C. AMP.PNP and ATP plus AlF₃ or BeF₂ affected markedly the transitions, which implies the strong interaction between AMP.PNP or nucleotide analogues and catalytic domain of myosin, and a partial dissociation of heads from actin. ADP.BeFx and states model the transition states of the ATP hydrolysis cycle which precede the powerstroke of the muscle fibres. Spectrum deconvolution on isothiocyanate-labelled fibres in AMP.PNP-state resulted in two populations; 50% of labels was highly ordered with respect to fibre axis, whereas the other 50% of labels was randomly oriented. The myosin heads which showed high degree of order were in the strongly binding ADP-state. The spectra in - and ADP.BeFx state reflected random orientation of labels with increased rotational mobility in comparison with rigor. The results suggest that myosin in muscle fibres in ADP.BeFx state exists in two forms. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nucleotides Induced Changes in Skeletal Muscle Myosin by DSC,TMDSC and EPR

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR, ST-EPR) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) were used in conventional and temperature modulated mode to study internal motions and energetics of myosin in skeletal muscle fibres in different states of the actomyosin ATPase cycle. Psoas muscle fibres from rabbit were spin-labelled with an isothiocyanate-based probe molecule at the reactive sulfhydryl site (Cys-707) of the catalytic domain of myosin. In the presence of nucleotides (ATP, ADP, AMP⋅PNP) and ATP or ADP plus orthovanadate, the conventional EPR spectra showed changes in the ordering of the probe molecules in fibres. In MgADP state a new distribution appeared; ATP plus orthovanadate increased the orientational disorder of myosin heads, a random population of spin labels was superimposed on the ADP-like spectrum. In the complex DSC pattern, higher transition referred to the head region of myosin. The enthalpy of the thermal unfolding depended on the nucleotides, the conversion from a strongly attached state of myosin to actin to a weakly binding state was accompanied with an increase of the transition temperature which was due to the change of the affinity of nucleotide binding to myosin. This was more pronounced in TMDSC mode, indicating that the strong-binding state and rigor state differ energetically from each other. The different transition temperatures indicated alterations in the internal microstructure of myosin head region The monoton decreasing TMDSC heat capacities show that C _p of biological samples should not be temperature independent. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Nucleotides on Thermal Transitions of Myosin

The internal dynamics and the thermal stability of myosin in rabbit psoas muscle fibres in different intermediate states of the ATP hydrolysis cycle were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Three overlapping endotherms were detected in rigor, in strongly binding and weakly binding state of myosin to actin. The transition at 58.4°C can be assigned to the nucleotide-binding domain. The transition at highest temperature represents the unfolding of the actin and the contributions arising from the actin-myosin interaction. The transition of 54°C reflects the interaction between the subunits of myosin. Nucleotide binding induced shifts of the melting temperatures and produced variations in the calorimetric enthalpy changes. The changes of the EPR parameters indicated local rearrangements of the internal structure in myosin heads. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermal transitions of actin

Actin is one of the main components in the eukaryote cells which plays significant role in many cellular processes, like force-generation, maintenance of the shape of cells, cell-division cycle and transport processes. In this study the thermal transitions of monomer and polymerized actins were studied to get information about the changes induced by polymerization and binding of myosin to actin using DSC and EPR techniques. The main thermal transition of F-actin was at 67.5°C by EPR using spin-labeled actin (the relative viscosity change was around 62°C), while the DSC denaturation T _ms were at 60.3d°C for G-actin and at 70.5°C for F-actin. Applying the Lumry-Eyring model to obtain the parameters of the kinetic process and calculate the activation energy, a ‘break’ was found for F-actin in the function of first-order kinetic constant vs. 1/T. This indicates that an altered interdomain interaction is present in F-actin. The addition of myosin or heavy meromyosin (HMM) in different molar ratio of myosin to actin has changed significantly the EPR spectrum of spin-labeled F-actin, indicating the presence of the supramolecular complex. Analyzing the DSC traces of the actomyosin complex it was possible to identify the different structural domains of myosin and actin.     

Thermal transitions of gelatin evaluated using DSC sample pans of various seal integrities

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has become a popular tool to investigate thermal transitions in food ingredients such as gelatin. Upon heating commercial gelatin samples beyond glass transition (T _g) and melting (T _m) temperatures, a relatively large endothermic transition (T _i) can be observed. We have observed that both the peak temperature and the enthalpy of the T _i transition are influenced by the integrity of the seal of the DSC pans used for the analysis. This study shows that escape of moisture from the DSC pan appears to be responsible for this effect. The effect of different types of DSC pans, as well as technique of sealing them on the T _i transition were evaluated using DSC, SDT, and TG–MS.     

Nucleotide Analogue Induces Global and Local Changes in Muscle Fibres

The effect of AMP.PNP on the thermal stability and dynamics of myosin head were investigated by using DSC and different spin label technique for chemically skinned muscle fibres prepared from rabbit. The thermal unfolding of the fibres in rigor, strong as well as weak-binding state showed a complex process characterizing at least three discrete domain regions with different stability (T _m =54, 58.4 and 62.3°C). The unfolding at 54°C refers to the catalytic domain of myosin, whereas transition at T _m =58.4°C represents the rod-like region. In the presence of AMP.PNP only the parameters of the last transition changed significantly (T _m =70.4°C) showing an increased interaction between actin and myosin heads being attached to actin. Measurements on MSL-fibres (labelled at Cys-707 of myosin) in the presence of AMP.PNP showed that about half of the cross-bridges dissociated from actin. This fraction had a dynamic disorder, the other population had the same spectral feature as in rigor. In contrast, on TCSL-fibres AMP.PNP increased the orientational disorder of myosin heads, a random population of spin labels was superimposed on the ADP-like spectrum showing conformational and motional changes in the internal structure of myosin heads. ST EPR measurements reported increased rotational mobility of spin labels in the presence of AMP.PNP. The DSC and EPR results suggest that in the presence of AMP.PNP the attached heads have the same global orientation as in rigor, but the internal structure undergoes a local conformational change. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Binding of Nucleotides at the Active Site Modulates the Local and Global Conformation of Myosin in Muscle Fibres

Differential scanning calorimetry and electron paramagnetic resonance experiments were performed on glycerinated muscle fibres to study the effect of the binding of nucleotides (ADP and AMP⋅PNP) to myosin. The thermal unfolding of muscle fibres showed three discrete domain regions with thermal stabilities of 52.2, 58.8 and 67.8°C. AMP⋅PNP markedly affected the transitions, implying the strong interaction between AMP⋅PNP and catalytic domain, and partial dissociation of heads from actin. ADP produced only small changes in transition temperatures. Spectrum deconvolution performed on isothiocyanate-labelled fibres in AMP⋅PNP-state resulted in two populations; 50% of labels was highly ordered with respect to fibre axis, whereas the other 50% of labels was randomly oriented. The conformation of the myosin heads which showed high degree of order were in the strongly binding ADP-state, the heads being attached to actin differ from those of heads in rigor. The results support the suggestion that the attached heads in strongly binding state to actin might have different local conformations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Oxygen Free Radicals on Myosin in Muscle Fibres. A DSC and EPR study

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR, both conventional and saturation transfer EPR) were used to study the motional dynamics and segmental flexibility of myosin in muscle fibres in the presence of free radical generating system. Muscle fibre bundles isolated from psoas muscle of rabbit were spin-labelled with maleimide- and isothiocyanate-based probe molecules at the reactive sulfhydryl sites (Cys-707) of the motor domain. In the presence of hydroxyl free radicals the spectral intensity of the maleimide probe molecules decreased with time following a single exponential curve. MgADP and MgATP plus orthovanadate that produce flexibility changes in the multisubunit structure of myosin enhanced the reduction of the attached nitroxide molecules in free radical generating system. The analysis of the EPR spectra of spin-labelled and oriented fibres showed that the narrow distribution of spin labels changed in the presence of hydroxyl free radicals. Spectrum analysis by computer subtraction showed that short irradiation by UV light resulted in the enhancement of the ordered population at the expense of the disordered population. This suggests a transition of myosin heads from weak- binding state into strong-binding state. DSC measurements performed on calf cardiac myosin resulted in two main transitions at 49.4 and 54.1°C, respectively. Addition of MgADP produced a decrease of the 49.4°C transition, whereas a shift towards higher temperature was detected at the 54.1°C transition. It shows that there is an inter-site communication between the domains of the myosin. Hydroxyl free radicals induced further shifts of the transition temperatures and affected the width of the heat absorption curves. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

DSC study of the phase transitions in [Ni(D2O)6](ClO4)2 and [Ni(H2O)6](ClO4)2

DSC measurements were carried out for [Ni(H₂O)₆](ClO₄)₂ (sampleH) and [Ni(D₂O)₆](ClO₄)₂ (sampleD) in the temperature range 300–380 K. For both compounds two anomalies on the DSC curves were detected. The results for sampleH are compared to those previously obtained using adiabatic calorimetry method. For both compounds studied in this work the high-temperature transition appears at the same temperature while the low-temperature one is shifted towards higher temperatures in sampleD. Disorder connected with H₂O or D₂O groups is suggested in the intermediate phase between the low- and high-temperature transitions.     

Analysis of magnetic and structural phase transition behaviors of La1−xSrxCrO3 for preparation of phase diagram

The phase transition behavior of perovskite-type compounds, La_1−xSr_xCrO₃, was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dilatometry, dc magnetic susceptibility measurement and X-ray diffraction analysis. Both second-order magnetic phase transition from antiferromagnetic to paramagnetic and first-order structural phase transition from orthorhombic to rhombohedral were observed in the DSC or dilatometric curve of every specimen. The temperatures of both these magnetic and structural phase transitions decreased linearly with an increase in Sr content. The structural phase transition temperature of La_1−xSr_xCrO₃ with x less than 0.11 is higher than the magnetic phase transition temperature; however, a larger decrease in structural phase transition temperature than in magnetic phase transition temperature was observed with an increase in Sr content, resulting in a structural phase transition temperature lower than the magnetic phase transition temperature for La_1−xSr_xCrO₃ with x of more than 0.12. It was also observed that the heat of absorption of the structural phase transition decreased with an increase in x. In the dependence of dc magnetic susceptibility on temperature, variations by not only magnetic but also structural phase transitions were observed. It was also revealed that thermal expansion coefficient is affected not only by structural phase transition but also magnetic phase transition. Magnetic and structural phase diagram of La_1−xSr_xCrO₃, suggesting the existence of two Sr contents and temperatures at which triple phases coexist, was proposed.     

Characterization of crystalline and amorphous content in pharmaceutical solids by dielectric thermal analysis

Morphological and thermodynamic transitions in drugs as well as their amorphous and crystalline content in the solid state have been distinguished by thermal analytical techniques, which include dielectric analysis (DEA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and macro-photomicrography. These techniques were used successfully to establish a structure versus property relationship with the United States Pharmacopeia standard set of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) drugs. A distinguishing method is the DSC determination of the amorphous and crystalline content which is based on the fusion properties of the specific drug and its recrystallization. The DSC technique to determine the crystalline and amorphous content is based on a series of heat and cool cycles to evaluate the drugs ability to recrystallize. To enhance the amorphous portion, the API is heated above its melting temperature and cooled with liquid nitrogen to ?120 °C (153 K). Alternatively a sample is program heated and cooled by DSC at a rate of 10 °C min^?1. DEA measures the crystalline solid and amorphous liquid API electrical ionic conductivity. The DEA ionic conductivity is repeatable and differentiates the solid crystalline drug with a low conductivity level (10^?2 pS cm^?1) and a high conductivity level associated with the amorphous liquid (10⁶ pS cm^?1). The DSC sets the analytical transition temperature range from melting to recrystallization. However, analysis of the DEA ionic conductivity cycle establishes the quantitative amorphous and crystalline content in the solid state at frequencies of 0.10–1.00 Hz and to greater than 30 °C below the melting transition as the peak melting temperature. This describes the “activation energy method.” An Arrhenius plot, log ionic conductivity versus reciprocal temperature (K^?1), of the pre-melt DEA transition yields frequency dependent activation energy (E _a, J mol^?1) for the complex charging in the solid state. The amorphous content is inversely proportional to the E _a where the E _a for the crystalline form is higher and lower for the amorphous form with a standard deviation of ±2%. There was a good agreement between the DSC crystalline melting, recrystallization, and the solid state DEA conductivity method with relevant microscopic evaluation. An alternate technique to determine amorphous and crystalline content has been established for the drugs of interest based on an obvious amorphous and crystalline state identified by macro-photomicrography and compared to the conductivity variations. This second “empirical method” correlates well with the “activation energy” method.     

Impact of Magnesium(II) on Beryllium Fluorides in Solutions Studied by 19F NMR Spectroscopy

Beryllium fluorides are widely used in protein phosphorylation studies to get stable transition state analogs or near attack conformers, which has attracted much attention. BeF₃^? is one of the optimal phosphoryl (PO₃^?) analogs for its identical geometry and charge, and Mg²⁺ naturally participates in the phosphoryl binding in biological systems. In solutions, BeF₃^? coexists with other beryllium fluorides (BeF₄^2?, BeF₂ and BeF⁺) and magnesium fluorides, and there are equilibriums between these species. In this article, ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy was applied to the investigation of the impact of magnesium(II) on beryllium fluorides. It has been found that when Mg²⁺ was introduced into the solutions, the chemical shifts, the intensities and the line widths of ¹⁹F signals of various beryllium fluoride complexes were changed. After ionic strength correction, these effects were remarkable only for BeF₄^2? and BeF₃^?, especially BeF₄^2?, when the concentration of the fluoride ion is relatively low. Mechanism of the effects is proposed which involves ion pair formation between Mg²⁺ and beryllium fluorides.     

The kinetics of phase transitions in vitreous chalcogenide semiconductors As10.2Se89.8 and As9Se90Bi in early stage of physical ageing process

The kinetics of glass transition in selenide glasses As_10.2Se_89.8 and As₉Se₉₀Bi in early stage of physical ageing process has been investigated by parallel differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and exoelectron emission (EEE). It has been found that the glass transition process occurring in investigated glasses is evidenced by peaks on EEE intensity and DSC curves. Admixture of bismuth causes a distinct lowering of the temperature of glass transitions process both in the surface layer and in the volume. The addition of Bi causes a decrease in the value of the activation energy for glass transition process in both the volume and in the surface layer, thus reducing the thermal stability of investigated glasses. Physical ageing in Se-rich chalcogenide glasses leads to a significant increase of endothermic peak area A, temperature of glass transition T _g and decrease of the activation energy value E. All these effects are strongly dependent on glass composition.     

Regulation of 5'-adenosine monophosphate deaminase in the freeze tolerant wood frog, Rana sylvatica

Background

The wood frog, Rana sylvatica, is one of a few vertebrate species that have developed natural freeze tolerance, surviving days or weeks with 65–70% of its total body water frozen in extracellular ice masses. Frozen frogs exhibit no vital signs and their organs must endure multiple stresses, particularly long term anoxia and ischemia. Maintenance of cellular energy supply is critical to viability in the frozen state and in skeletal muscle, AMP deaminase (AMPD) plays a key role in stabilizing cellular energetics. The present study investigated AMPD control in wood frog muscle.

Results

Wood frog AMPD was subject to multiple regulatory controls: binding to subcellular structures, protein phosphorylation, and effects of allosteric effectors, cryoprotectants and temperature. The percentage of bound AMPD activity increased from 20 to 35% with the transition to the frozen state. Bound AMPD showed altered kinetic parameters compared with the free enzyme (S _0.5 AMP was reduced, Hill coefficient fell to ~1.0) and the transition to the frozen state led to a 3-fold increase in S _0.5 AMP of the bound enzyme. AMPD was a target of protein phosphorylation. Bound AMPD from control frogs proved to be a low phosphate form with a low S _0.5 AMP and was phosphorylated in incubations that stimulated PKA, PKC, CaMK, or AMPK. Bound AMPD from frozen frogs was a high phosphate form with a high S _0.5 AMP that was reduced under incubation conditions that stimulated protein phosphatases. Frog muscle AMPD was activated by Mg·ATP and Mg·ADP and inhibited by Mg·GTP, KCl, NaCl and NH₄Cl. The enzyme product, IMP, uniquely inhibited only the bound (phosphorylated) enzyme from muscle of frozen frogs. Activators and inhibitors differentially affected the free versus bound enzyme. S _0.5 AMP of bound AMPD was also differentially affected by high versus low assay temperature (25 vs 5°C) and by the presence/absence of the natural cryoprotectant (250 mM glucose) that accumulates during freezing.

Conclusion

Maintenance of long term viability under the ischemic conditions in frozen muscle requires attention to the control of cellular energetics. Differential regulatory controls on AMPD by mechanisms including binding to muscle proteins, actions allosteric effectors, glucose and temperature effects and reversible phosphorylation adjust enzyme function for an optimal role in controlling cellular adenylate levels in ischemic frozen muscle. Stable modification of AMPD properties via freeze-responsive phosphorylation may contribute both to AMPD control and to coordinating AMPD function with other enzymes of energy metabolism in cold ischemic muscle.     

Intermediate states of myosin head during atp hydrolysis cycle in psoas muscle fibres by EPR and DSC

Force generation in muscle during contraction arises from direct interaction of the two main protein components of the muscle, myosin and actin. The process is driven by the energy liberated from the hydrolysis of ATP. In the presence of CaATP the energy released from hydrolysis produces conformational changes in myosin and actin, which can be manifested as an internal motion of myosin head while bound to actin. It is suggested that myosin heads attached to actin produce conformational changes during the hydrolysis process of ATP, which results in a strain in the head portion of myosin in an ATP-dependent manner. These structural changes lead to a large rotation of myosin neck region relieving the strain. Paramagnetic probes and EPR spectroscopy provide direct method in which the rotation and orientation of specifically labelled proteins can be followed during muscle activity. In order to find correlation between local and global structural changes in the intermediate states of the ATPase cycle, the spectroscopic measurements were combined with DSC measurements that report domain stability and interactions.     

Reversible crystal-to-crystal phase transition of a 4,4′-bipyridine-linked dinuclear copper(II) complex

The crystal-to-crystal phase transition of the previously reported dinuclear C _i-symmetric complex [{Cu(NO₃)₂(phen)}₂(4,4′-bipy)] (1) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; 4,4′-bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine) [Seidel et al. (2011) Z Anorg 637:1545–1554, 10] was studied in detail by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction and variable temperature determinations of the unit cell parameters on a single-crystal. A density functional theory (DFT) study was undertaken to elucidate effects of crystal packing on the molecular structure in the solid-state. The DFT study confirmed that the molecular structures of 1 found in the solid-state do not represent the minimum energy conformation of the free molecule, especially with respect to the twist of the 4,4′-bipy bridging ligand. The DSC analysis revealed that the phase transition is a fully reversible process, and suggests that the relationship between the dimorphic forms of 1 is enantiotropic.     

An efficient self-optimized sampling method for rare events in nonequilibrium systems

Rare events such as nucleation processes are of ubiquitous importance in real systems.The most popular method for nonequilibrium systems,forward flux sampling(FFS),samples rare events by using interfaces to partition the whole transition process into sequence of steps along an order parameter connecting the initial and final states.FFS usually suffers from two main difficulties:low computational efficiency due to bad interface locations and even being not applicable when trapping into unknown intermediate metastable states.In the present work,we propose an approach to overcome these difficulties,by self-adaptively locating the interfaces on the fly in an optimized manner.Contrary to the conventional FFS which set the interfaces with equal distance of the order parameter,our approach determines the interfaces with equal transition probability which is shown to satisfy the optimization condition.This is done by firstly running long local trajectories starting from the current interface i to get the conditional probability distribution Pc(>i|i),and then determining i+1by equaling Pc(i+1|i)to a give value p0.With these optimized interfaces,FFS can be run in a much more efficient way.In addition,our approach can conveniently find the intermediate metastable states by monitoring some special long trajectories that neither end at the initial state nor reach the next interface,the number of which will increase sharply from zero if such metastable states are encountered.We apply our approach to a two-state model system and a two-dimensional lattice gas Ising model.Our approach is shown to be much more efficient than the conventional FFS method without losing accuracy,and it can also well reproduce the two-step nucleation scenario of the Ising model with easy identification of the intermediate metastable state.