Computational investigation of the key factors affecting the second stage activation mechanisms of domain II m-calpain

The unique conformation of the active site in calpains along with the implication of their role in several diseases has prompted widespread research interest in the scientific community. Structural studies devoted to m- and μ-calpains have proposed a two-stage calcium-dependent activation mechanism for calpains. In this work, we performed conventional and targeted molecular dynamics simulations to investigate global and local changes in the structure of the protease core of m-calpain upon calcium binding. Simulations were performed on the protease core of calcium free (pdbid: 1kfu) and calcium bound (pdbid: 3df0) m-calpain with and without the presence of calcium ions. Our results indicate that the inactive, open conformation of the protease core does not transform into the active, closed conformation simply upon removal of constraints from the neighbor domains. The role of other factors, including calcium binding and the subsequent formation of an Arg94–Glu305 inter-domain salt bridge and the change in the orientation of Trp288 side chain, in the activation of the protease core is elicited.