Contribution of distinct structural elements to activation of calpain by Ca2+ ions

The effect of Ca2+ in calpain activation is mediated via several binding sites in the enzyme molecule. To test the contribution of structural elements suspected to be part of this Ca2+ relay system, we made a site-directed mutagenesis study on calpains, measuring consequential changes in Ca2+ binding and Ca2+ sensitivity of enzyme activity. Evidence is provided for earlier suggestions that an acidic loop in domain III and the transducer region connecting domains III and IV are part of the Ca2+ relay system. Wild-type Drosophila Calpain B domain III binds two to three Ca2+ ions with a K(d) of 3400 microm. Phospholipids lower this value to 220 microm. Ca2+ binding decreases in parallel with the number of mutated loop residues. Deletion of the entire loop abolishes binding of the ion. The Ca2+ dependence of enzyme activity of various acidic-loop mutants of Calpain B and rat m-calpain suggests the importance of the loop in regulating activity. Most conspicuously, the replacement of two adjacent acidic residues in the N-terminal half of the loop evokes a dramatic decrease in the Ca2+ need of both enzymes, lowering half-maximal Ca2+ concentration from 8.6 to 1.3 mm for Calpain B and from 250 to 7 microm for m-calpain. Transducer-region mutations in m-calpain also facilitate Ca2+ activation with the most profound effect seen upon shortening the region by deletion mutagenesis. All of these data along with structural considerations suggest that the acidic loop and the transducer region form an interconnected, extended structural unit that has the capacity to integrate and transduce Ca2+-evoked conformational changes over a long distance. A schematic model of this "extended transducer" mechanism is presented.     

Mu-calpain binds to lipid bilayers via the exposed hydrophobic surface of its Ca2+-activated conformation

Mu- and m-calpain are cysteine proteases requiring micro- and millimolar Ca2+ concentrations for their activation in vitro. Among other mechanisms, interaction of calpains with membrane phospholipids has been proposed to facilitate their activation by nanomolar [Ca2+] in living cells. Here the interaction of non-autolysing, C115A active-site mutated heterodimeric human mu-calpain with phospholipid bilayers was studied in vitro using protein-to-lipid fluorescence resonance energy transfer and surface plasmon resonance. Binding to liposomes was Ca2+-dependent, but not selective for specific phospholipid head groups. [Ca2+]0.5 for association with lipid bilayers was not lower than that required for the exposure of hydrophobic surface (detected by TNS fluorescence) or for enzyme activity in the absence of lipids. Deletion of domain V reduced the lipid affinity of the isolated small subunit (600-fold) and of the heterodimer (10- to 15-fold), thus confirming the proposed role of domain V for membrane binding. Unexpectedly, mutations in the acidic loop of the 'C2-like' domain III, a putative Ca2+ and phospholipid-binding site, did not affect lipid affinity. Taken together, these results support the hypothesis that in vitro membrane binding of mu-calpain is due to the exposed hydrophobic surface of the active conformation and does not reduce the Ca2+ requirement for activation.     

Binding of calpain fragments to calpastatin

Their cDNA-derived amino acid sequences predict that the 80-kDa subunits of the micromolar and millimolar Ca(2+)-requiring forms of the Ca(2+)-dependent proteinase (mu- and m-calpain, respectively) each consist of four domains and that the 28-kDa subunit common to both mu- and m-calpain consists of two domains. The calpains were allowed to autolyze to completion, and the autolysis products were separated and were characterized by using gel permeation chromatography, calpastatin affinity chromatography, and sequence analysis. Three major fragments were obtained after autolysis of either calpain. The largest fragment (34 kDa for mu-calpain, 35 kDa for m-calpain) contains all of domain II, the catalytic domain, plus part of domain I of the 80-kDa subunit of mu- or m-calpain. This fragment does not bind to calpastatin, a competitive inhibitor of the calpains, and has no proteolytic activity in either the absence or presence of Ca2+. The second major fragment (21 kDa for mu-calpain and 22 kDa for m-calpain) contains domain IV, the calmodulin-like domain, plus approximately 50 amino acids from domain III of the 80-kDa subunit of mu- or m-calpain. The third major fragment (18 kDa) contains domain VI, the calmodulin-like domain of the 28-kDa subunit. The second and third major fragments bind to a calpastatin affinity column in the presence of Ca2+ and are eluted with EDTA. The second and third fragments are noncovalently bound, so the 80- and 28-kDa subunits of the intact calpain molecules are noncovalently bound at domains IV and VI. After separation in 1 M NaSCN, the 28-kDa subunit binds completely to calpastatin, approximately 30-40% of the 80-kDa subunit of mu-calpain binds to calpastatin, and the 80-kDa subunit of m-calpain does not bind to calpastatin in the presence of 1 mM Ca2+.     

Domain II of m-calpain is a Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine protease

Calpain, a Ca(2+)-dependent cytosolic cysteine protease, proteolytically modulates specific substrates involved in Ca(2+)-mediated intracellular events, such as signal transduction, cell cycle, differentiation, and apoptosis. The 3D structure of m-calpain, in the absence of Ca(2+), revealed that the two subdomains (domains IIa and IIb) of the protease domain (II) have an 'open' conformation, probably due to interactions with other domains. Although the presence of an EF-hand structure was once predicted in the protease domain, no explicit Ca(2+)-binding structure was identified in the 3D structure. Therefore, it is predicted that if the protease domain is excised from the calpain molecule, it will have a Ca(2+)-independent protease activity. In this study, we have characterized a truncated human m-calpain that consists of only the protease domain. Unexpectedly, the proteolytic activity was Ca(2+)-dependent, very weak, and not effectively inhibited by calpastatin, a calpain inhibitor. Ca(2+)-dependent modification of the protease domain by the cysteine protease inhibitor, E-64c, was clearly observed as a SDS-PAGE migration change, indicating that the conformational changes of this domain are a result of Ca(2+) binding. These results suggest that the Ca(2+) binding to domain II, as well as to domains III, IV, and VI, is critical in the process of complete activation of calpain.     

Calpain mutants with increased Ca2+ sensitivity and implications for the role of the C(2)-like domain

The ubiquitous calpain isoforms (mu- and m-calpain) are Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine proteases that require surprisingly high Ca(2+) concentrations for activation in vitro ( approximately 50 and approximately 300 microm, respectively). The molecular basis of such a high requirement for Ca(2+) in vitro is not known. In this study, we substantially reduced the concentration of Ca(2+) required for the activation of m-calpain in vitro through the specific disruption of interdomain interactions by structure-guided site-directed mutagenesis. Several interdomain electrostatic interactions involving lysine residues in domain II and acidic residues in the C(2)-like domain III were disrupted, and the effects of these mutations on activity and Ca(2+) sensitivity were analyzed. The mutation to serine of Glu-504, a residue that is conserved in both mu- and m-calpain and interacts most notably with Lys-234, reduced the in vitro Ca(2+) requirement for activity by almost 50%. The mutation of Lys-234 to serine or glutamic acid resulted in a similar reduction. These are the first reported cases in which point mutations have been able to reduce the Ca(2+) requirement of calpain. The structures of the mutants in the absence of Ca(2+) were shown by x-ray crystallography to be unchanged from the wild type, demonstrating that the increase in Ca(2+) sensitivity was not attributable to conformational change prior to activation. The conservation of sequence between mu-calpain, m-calpain, and calpain 3 in this region suggests that the results can be extended to all of these isoforms. Whereas the primary Ca(2+) binding is assumed to occur at EF-hands in domains IV and VI, these results show that domain II-domain III salt bridges are important in the process of the Ca(2+)-induced activation of calpain and that they influence the overall Ca(2+) requirement of the enzyme.     

Ca(2+)-induced structural changes in rat m-calpain revealed by partial proteolysis

Partial proteolysis by exogenous proteases in the presence and absence of Ca(2+) was used to map the protease-resistant domains in m-calpain, and to obtain evidence for the conformational changes induced in this thiol protease by Ca(2+). The complication of autoproteolysis was avoided by using the inactive Cys105Ser calpain mutant. Both trypsin and chymotrypsin produced similar cleavage patterns from the large subunit (domains I-IV), while the small subunit (domain VI) was largely unaffected. N-Terminal sequencing of the major products showed that hydrolysis occurred in the N-terminal anchor peptide, which binds domain I to domain VI, at a site close to the C terminus of domain II, and at several sites within domain III. Of particular importance to the overall Ca(2+)-induced conformational changes was the increase in mobility and accessibility of domain III. The same sites were cleaved in the presence and absence of Ca(2+), but with one exception digestion was much more rapid in the presence of Ca(2+). The exception was a site close to residue 255 located within the active site cleft. This site was accessible to cleavage in the absence of Ca(2+), when the active site is not assembled, but was protected in the presence of Ca(2+). This result supports the hypothesis that Ca(2+) induces movement of domains I and II closer together to form the functional active site of calpain.     

Mechanism of specific membrane targeting by C2 domains: localized pools of target lipids enhance Ca2+ affinity

The C2 domain is a ubiquitous, conserved protein signaling motif widely found in eukaryotic signaling proteins. Although considerable functional diversity exists, most C2 domains are activated by Ca2+ binding and then dock to a specific cellular membrane. The C2 domains of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) and cytosolic phospholipase A2alpha (cPLA2alpha), for example, are known to dock to different membrane surfaces during an intracellular Ca2+ signal. Ca2+ activation targets the PKCalpha C2 domain to the plasma membrane and the cPLA2alpha C2 domain to the internal membranes, with no detectable spatial overlap. It is crucial to determine how such targeting specificity is achieved at physiological bulk Ca2+ concentrations that during a typical signaling event rarely exceed 1 muM. For the isolated PKCalpha C2 domain in the presence of physiological Ca2+ levels, the target lipids phosphatidylserine (PS) and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) are together sufficient to recruit the PKCalpha C2 domain to a lipid mixture mimicking the plasma membrane inner leaflet. For the cPLA2alpha C2 domain, the target lipid phosphatidylcholine (PC) appears to be sufficient to drive membrane targeting to an internal membrane mimic at physiological Ca2+ levels, although the results do not rule out a second, unknown target molecule. Stopped-flow kinetic studies provide additional information about the fundamental molecular events that occur during Ca2+-activated membrane docking. In principle, C2 domain-directed intracellular targeting, which requires coincidence detection of multiple signals (Ca2+ and one or more target lipids), can exhibit two different mechanisms: messenger-activated target affinity (MATA) and target-activated messenger affinity (TAMA). The C2 domains studied here both utilize the TAMA mechanism, in which the C2 domain Ca2+ affinity is too low to be activated by physiological Ca2+ signals in most regions of the cell. Only when the C2 domain nears its target membrane, which provides a high local concentration of target lipid, is the effective Ca2+ affinity increased by the coupled binding equilibrium to a level that enables substantial Ca2+ activation and target docking. Overall, the findings emphasize the importance of using physiological ligand concentrations in targeting studies because super-physiological concentrations can drive docking interactions even when an important targeting molecule is missing.     

Specific translocation of protein kinase Calpha to the plasma membrane requires both Ca2+ and PIP2 recognition by its C2 domain

The C2 domain of protein kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) controls the translocation of this kinase from the cytoplasm to the plasma membrane during cytoplasmic Ca2+ signals. The present study uses intracellular coimaging of fluorescent fusion proteins and an in vitro FRET membrane-binding assay to further investigate the nature of this translocation. We find that Ca2+-activated PKCalpha and its isolated C2 domain localize exclusively to the plasma membrane in vivo and that a plasma membrane lipid, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2), dramatically enhances the Ca2+-triggered binding of the C2 domain to membranes in vitro. Similarly, a hybrid construct substituting the PKCalpha Ca2+-binding loops (CBLs) and PIP2 binding site (beta-strands 3-4) into a different C2 domain exhibits native Ca2+-triggered targeting to plasma membrane and recognizes PIP2. Conversely, a hybrid containing the CBLs but lacking the PIP2 site translocates primarily to trans-Golgi network (TGN) and fails to recognize PIP2. Similarly, PKCalpha C2 domains possessing mutations in the PIP2 site target primarily to TGN and fail to recognize PIP2. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the CBLs are essential for Ca2+-triggered membrane binding but are not sufficient for specific plasma membrane targeting. Instead, targeting specificity is provided by basic residues on beta-strands 3-4, which bind to plasma membrane PIP2.     

Effect of Ca2+ on binding of the calpains to calpastatin

Autolyzed mu-calpain, unautolyzed mu-calpain, autolyzed m-calpain, and unautolyzed m-calpain (mu-calpain is the micromolar Ca2+-requiring proteinase, m-calpain is the millimolar Ca2+-requiring proteinase) were passed through a calpastatin-affinity column at different free Ca2+ concentrations, and binding of the calpains to calpastatin was compared with proteolytic activity of that calpain at each Ca2+ concentration. Unautolyzed m-calpain, autolyzed m-calpain, and autolyzed mu-calpain required less Ca2+ for half-maximal binding to calpastatin than for half-maximal activity. Unautolyzed mu-calpain, however, required slightly more Ca2+ for half-maximal binding to calpastatin than for half-maximal activity. Half-maximal binding of oxidatively inactivated mu- or m-calpain to calpastatin required approximately the same Ca2+ concentrations as half-maximal binding of unautolyzed mu- or m-calpain, respectively, to calpastatin. Binding of unautolyzed m-calpain and autolyzed mu-calpain to calpastatin occurred over a wide range of Ca2+ concentrations, and it seems likely that two or more Ca2+-binding sites with different Ca2+-binding constants are involved in binding of the calpains to calpastatin. Proteolytic activity occurs at different Ca2+ concentrations than calpastatin binding, suggesting a second set of Ca2+-binding sites associated with proteolytic activity. Third and fourth sets of Ca2+-binding sites may be involved in autolysis and in binding to phosphatidylinositol or cell membranes; these four Ca2+-dependent properties of the calpains may require the eight potential Ca2+-binding sites that amino acid sequences predict are present in the calpain molecules.     

The Dysferlin C2A Domain Binds PI(4,5)P2 and Penetrates Membranes

Dysferlin is a large membrane protein found most prominently in striated muscle. Loss of dysferlin activity is associated with reduced exocytosis, abnormal intracellular Ca2+ and the muscle diseases limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and Miyoshi myopathy. The cytosolic region of dysferlin consists of seven C2 domains with mutations in the C2A domain at the N-terminus resulting in pathology. Despite the importance of Ca2+ and membrane binding activities of the C2A domain for dysferlin function, the mechanism of the domain remains poorly characterized. In this study we find that the C2A domain preferentially binds membranes containing PI(4,5)P2 through an interaction mediated by residues Y23, K32, K33, and R77 on the concave face of the domain. We also found that subsequent to membrane binding, the C2A domain inserts residues on the Ca2+ binding loops into the membrane. Analysis of solution NMR measurements indicate that the domain inhabits two distinct structural states, with Ca2+ shifting the population between states towards a more rigid structure with greater affinity for PI(4,5)P2. Based on our results, we propose a mechanism where Ca²⁺ converts C2A from a structurally dynamic, low PI(4,5)P2 affinity state to a high affinity state that targets dysferlin to PI(4,5)P2 enriched membranes through interaction with Tyr23, K32, K33, and R77. Binding also involves changes in lipid packing and insertion by the third Ca2+ binding loop of the C2 domain into the membrane, which would contribute to dysferlin function in exocytosis and Ca2+ regulation.     

Membrane binding and subcellular targeting of C2 domains

C2 domains are a ubiquitous structural module and many of them function in Ca2+ -dependent membrane binding and thereby serve as Ca2+ effectors for divergent Ca2+ -mediated cellular processes. Extensive structural, biochemical, biophysical, and cellular studies of C2 domains and host proteins in the past decade have shown that due to their structural diversity C2 domains have disparate Ca2+ sensitivity, lipid selectivity and membrane binding mechanisms. This review summarizes the basic structural and functional properties of C2 domains as well as recent findings on Ca2+ and membrane binding, lipid selectivity, and subcellular localization of C2 domains and their host proteins.     

Role of synaptotagmin, a Ca2+ and inositol polyphosphate binding protein, in neurotransmitter release and neurite outgrowth.

Synaptotagmin I (or II), a possible Ca(2+)-sensor of synaptic vesicles, has two functionally distinct C2 domains: the C2A domain binds Ca2+ and the C2B domain binds inositol high polyphosphates (IP4, IP5, and IP6). Ca(2+)-regulated exocytosis of secretory vesicles is proposed to be activated by Ca2+ binding to the C2A domain and inhibited by inositol polyphosphate binding to the C2B domain. Synaptotagmins now constitute a large family and are thought to be involved in both regulated and constitutive vesicular trafficking. They are classified from their distribution as neuronal (synaptotagmin I-V, X, and XI) and the ubiquitous type (synaptotagmin VI-IX). Among them, synaptotagmins III, V, VI and X are deficient in IP4 binding activity due to the amino acid substitutions in the C-terminal region of the C2B domain, suggesting that these isoforms can work for vesicular trafficking even in the presence of inositol high polyphosphates. Synaptotagmin I is also known to be present in neuronal growth cone vesicles. Antibody against the C2A domain (anti-C2A) that inhibits Ca(2+)-regulated exocytosis also blocked neurite outgrowth of the chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuron, suggesting that Ca(2+)-dependent synaptotagmin activation is also crucial for neurite outgrowth.     

Calcium binding domains of calmodulin. Sequence of fill as determined with terbium luminescence

Terbium, a trivalent lanthanide, effectively substituted for Ca2+ in calmodulin as judged by several criteria: intrinsic fluorescence spectra, altered mobilities on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, formation of a stable complex with troponin I or calcineurin, and stimulation of phosphodiesterase. Calmodulin harbors four Ca2+ binding domains; domains I and II contain no tyrosine, whereas domains III and IV each have one tyrosine. The binding of Tb3+ to calmodulin was followed by the increase of Tb3+ fluorescence at 545 nm upon binding to calmodulin. This fluorescence was elicited either by exciting Tb3+ directly at 222 nm or by exciting the calmodulin tyrosine at 280 nm with resulting energy transfer from tyrosine to Tb3+. Fluorescence generated by direct excitation measures binding of Tb3+ to any of the Ca2+ binding domains, whereas energy transfer through indirect excitation is effective only when Tb3+ is within 5 A of tyrosine, indicating that Tb3+ necessarily occupies a Ca2+ binding domain that contains tyrosine. A judicious use of the direct and indirect excitation could reveal the sequence of fill of the binding domains. Our results suggest these domains are filled in the following sequence: 1) domain I or II; 2) domains III and IV; and 3) domain II or I that has not been filled initially.     

Mutations in the effector binding loops in the C2A and C2B domains of synaptotagmin I disrupt exocytosis in a nonadditive manner

The secretory vesicle protein synaptotagmin I (syt) plays a critical role in Ca2+-triggered exocytosis. Its cytoplasmic domain is composed of tandem C2 domains, C2A and C2B; each C2 domain binds Ca2+. Upon binding Ca2+, positively charged residues within the Ca2+-binding loops are thought to interact with negatively charged phospholipids in the target membrane to mediate docking of the cytoplasmic domain of syt onto lipid bilayers. The C2 domains of syt also interact with syntaxin and SNAP-25, two components of a conserved membrane fusion complex. Here, we have neutralized single positively charged residues at the membrane-binding interface of C2A (R233Q) and C2B (K366Q). Either of these mutations shifted the Ca2+ requirements for syt-liposome interactions from approximately 20 to approximately 40 microm Ca2+. Kinetic analysis revealed that the reduction in Ca2+-sensing activity was associated with a decrease in affinity for membranes. These mutations did not affect sytsyntaxin interactions but resulted in an approximately 50% loss in SNAP-25 binding activity, suggesting that these residues lie at an interface between membranes and SNAP-25. Expression of full-length versions of syt that harbored these mutations reduced the rate of exocytosis in PC12 cells. In both biochemical and functional assays, effects of the R233Q and K366Q mutations were not additive, indicating that mutations in one domain affect the activity of the adjacent domain. These findings indicate that the tandem C2 domains of syt cooperate with one another to trigger release via loop-mediated electrostatic interactions with effector molecules.     

Membrane binding kinetics of protein kinase C betaII mediated by the C2 domain.

Conventional isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC) are activated when their two membrane-targeting modules, the C1 and C2 domains, bind the second messengers diacylglycerol (DG) and Ca2+, respectively. This study investigates the mechanism of Ca2+-induced binding of PKC betaII to anionic membranes mediated by the C2 domain. Stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy reveals that Ca2+-induced binding of the isolated C2 domain to anionic vesicles proceeds via at least two steps: (1) rapid binding of two or more Ca2+ ions to the free domain with relatively low affinity and (2) diffusion-controlled association of the Ca2+-occupied domain with vesicles. Ca2+ increases the affinity of the C2 domain for anionic membranes by both decreasing the dissociation rate constant (k(off)) and increasing the association rate constant (k(on)) for membrane binding. For binding to vesicles containing 40 mol % anionic lipid in the presence of 200 microM Ca2+, k(off) and k(on) are 8.9 s(-1) and 1.2 x 10(10) M(-1) x s(-1), respectively. The k(off) value increases to 150 s(-1) when free Ca2+ levels are rapidly reduced, decreasing the average lifetime of the membrane-bound C2 domain (tau = k(off)(-1)) from 110 ms in the presence of Ca2+ to 6.7 ms when Ca2+ is rapidly removed. Experiments addressing the role of electrostatic interactions reveal that they stabilize either the initial C2 domain-membrane encounter complex or the high-affinity membrane-bound complex. Specifically, lowering the phosphatidylserine mole fraction or including MgCl2 in the binding reaction decreases the affinity of the C2 domain for anionic vesicles by both reducing k(on) and increasing k(off) measured in the presence of 200 microM Ca2+. These species do not affect the k(off) value when Ca2+ is rapidly removed. Studies with PKC betaII reveal that Ca2+-induced binding to membranes by the full-length protein proceeds minimally via two kinetically resolvable steps: (1) a rapid bimolecular association of the enzyme with vesicles near the diffusion-controlled limit and, most likely, (2) subsequent conformational changes of the membrane-bound enzyme. As is the case for the C2 domain, k(off) for full-length PKC betaII increases when Ca2+ is rapidly removed, reducing tau from 11 s in the presence of Ca2+ to 48 ms in its absence. Thus, both the C2 domain and the slow conformational change prolong the lifetime of the PKC betaII-membrane ternary complex in the presence of Ca2+, with rapid membrane release triggered by removal of Ca2+. These results provide a molecular basis for cofactor regulation of PKC whereby the C2 domain searches three-dimensional space at the diffusion-controlled limit to target PKC to relatively common anionic phospholipids, whereupon a two-dimensional search is initiated by the C1 domain for the more rare, membrane-partitioned DG.     

Crystal structure of a micro-like calpain reveals a partially activated conformation with low Ca2+ requirement

The two Ca2+-dependent cysteine proteases, micro- and m-calpain, are involved in various Ca2+-linked signal pathways but differ markedly in their Ca2+ requirements for activation. We have determined the structure of a micro-like calpain, which has 85% micro-calpain sequence (the first 48 and the last 62 residues of the large subunit are those from m-calpain) and a low Ca2+ requirement. This construct was used because micro-calpain itself is too poorly expressed. The structure of micro-like calpain is very similar in overall fold to that of m-calpain as expected, but differs significantly in two aspects. In comparison with m-calpain, the catalytic triad residues in micro-like calpain, His and Cys, are much closer together in the absence of Ca2+, and significant portions of the Ca2+ binding EF-hand motifs are disordered and more flexible. These structural differences imply that Ca2+-free micro-calpain may represent a partially activated structure, requiring lower Ca2+ concentration to trigger its activation.     

Crystal structure of the cytosolic C2A-C2B domains of synaptotagmin III. Implications for Ca(+2)-independent snare complex interaction.

Synaptotagmins are synaptic vesicle-associated, phospholipid-binding proteins most commonly associated with Ca(+2)-dependent exocytotic and Ca(+2)- independent endocytotic events. Synaptotagmin III is a 63.2-kD member of the synaptotagmin homology group; one of its characteristic properties is the ability to bind divalent cations and accessory proteins promiscuously. In the cytosolic portion of this protein, a flexible seven-amino acid linker joins two homologous C2 domains. The C2A domain binds to phospholipid membranes and other accessory proteins in a divalent cation-dependent fashion. The C2B domain promotes binding to other C2B domains, as well as accessory proteins independent of divalent cations. The 3.2 A crystal structure of synaptotagmin III, residues 295-566, which includes the C2A and C2B domains, exhibits differences in the shape of the Ca(+2)-binding pocket, the electrostatic surface potential, and the stoichiometry of bound divalent cations for the two domains. These observations may explain the disparate binding properties of the two domains. The C2A and the C2B domains do not interact; synaptotagmin, therefore, covalently links two independent C2 domains, each with potentially different binding partners. A model of synaptotagmin's involvement in Ca(+2)-dependent regulation of membrane fusion through its interaction with the SNARE complex is presented.     

Synaptotagmin perturbs the structure of phospholipid bilayers

Synaptotagmin I (syt), an integral protein of the synaptic vesicle membrane, is believed to act as a Ca2+ sensor for neuronal exocytosis. Syt's cytoplasmic domain consists largely of two C2 domains, C2A and C2B. In response to Ca2+ binding, the C2 domains interact with membranes, becoming partially embedded in the lipid bilayer. We have imaged syt C2AB in association with lipid bilayers under fluid, using AFM. As expected, binding of C2AB to bilayers required both an anionic phospholipid [phosphatidylserine (PS)] and Ca2+. C2AB associated with bilayers in the form of aggregates of varying stoichiometries, and aggregate size increased with an increase in PS content. Repeated scanning of bilayers revealed that as C2AB dissociated it left behind residual indentations in the bilayer. The mean depth of these identations was 1.81 nm, indicating that they did not span the bilayer. Individual C2 domains (C2A and C2B) also formed aggregates and produced bilayer indentations. Binding of C2AB to bilayers and the formation of indentations were significantly compromised by mutations that interfere with binding of Ca2+ to syt or reduce the positive charge on the surface of C2B. We propose that bilayer perturbation by syt might be significant with respect to its ability to promote membrane fusion.     

Structural independence of the two EF-hand domains of caltractin

Caltractin (centrin) is a member of the calmodulin subfamily of EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins that is an essential component of microtubule-organizing centers in many organisms ranging from yeast and algae to humans. The protein contains two homologous EF-hand Ca2+-binding domains linked by a flexible tether; each domain is capable of binding two Ca2+ ions. In an effort to search for domain-specific functional properties of caltractin, the two isolated domains were subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. Ca2+ binding affinities and the Ca2+ dependence of biophysical properties of the isolated domains were monitored by UV, CD, and NMR spectroscopy. Comparisons to the corresponding results for the intact protein showed that the two domains function independently of each other in these assays. Titration of a peptide fragment from the yeast Kar1p protein to the isolated domains and intact caltractin shows that the two domains interact in a Ca2+-dependent manner, with the C-terminal domain binding much more strongly than the N-terminal domain. Measurements of the macroscopic Ca2+ binding constants show that only the N-terminal domain has sufficient apparent Ca2+ affinity in vitro (1-10 microm) to be classified as a traditional calcium sensor in signal transduction pathways. However, investigation of the microscopic Ca2+ binding events in the C-terminal domain by NMR spectroscopy revealed that the observed macroscopic binding constant likely results from binding to two sites with very different affinities, one in the micromolar range and the other in the millimolar range. Thus, the C-terminal domain appears to also be capable of sensing Ca2+ signals but is activated by the binding of a single ion.