S100P, a novel Ca(2+)-binding protein from human placenta. cDNA cloning, recombinant protein expression and Ca2+ binding properties.

A novel member of the S100 protein family, present in human placenta, has been characterized by protein sequencing, cDNA cloning, and analysis of Ca(2+)-binding properties. Since the placenta protein of 95 amino acid residues shares about 50% sequence identity with the brain S100 proteins alpha and beta, we proposed the name S100P. The cDNA was expressed in Escherichia coli and recombinant S100P was purified in high yield. S100P is a homodimer and has two functional EF hands/polypeptide chain. The low-affinity site (Kd = 800 microM), which, in analogy to S100 beta, seems to involve the N-terminal EF hand, can be followed by the Ca(2+)-dependent decrease in tyrosine fluorescence. The high-affinity site, provided by the C-terminal EF hand, influences the reactivity of the sole cysteine which is located in the C-terminal extension (Cys85). Binding to the high-affinity site (Kd = 1.6 microM) can be monitored by fluorescence spectroscopy of S100P labelled at Cys85 with 6-proprionyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (Prodan). The Prodan fluorescence shows a Ca(2+)-dependent red shift of the maximum emission wavelength from 485 nm to 502 nm, which is accompanied by an approximately twofold loss in integrated fluorescence intensity. This indicates that Cys85 becomes more exposed to the solvent in Ca(2+)-bound S100P, making this region of the molecule, the so-called C-terminal extension, an ideal candidate for a putative Ca(2+)-dependent interaction with a cellular target. In p11, a different member of the S100 family, the C-terminal extension which contains a corresponding cysteine (Cys82 in p11), is involved in a Ca(2+)-independent complex formation with the protein ligand annexin II. The combined results support the hypothesis that S100 proteins interact in general with their targets after a Ca(2+)-dependent conformational change which involves hydrophobic residues of the C-terminal extension.     

S100-annexin complexes: some insights from structural studies

Several annexins have been shown to bind proteins that belong to the S100 calcium-binding protein family. The two best-characterized complexes are annexin II with p11 and annexin I with S100C, the former of which has been implicated in membrane fusion processes. We have solved the crystal structures of the complexes of p11 with annexin II N-terminus and of S100C with annexin I N-terminus. Using these structural results, as well as electron microscopy observations of liposome junctions formed in the presence of such complexes (Lambert et al., 1997 J Mol Biol 272, 42-55), we propose a computer generated model for the entire annexin II/p11 complex.     

Mapping of three unique Ca(2+)-binding sites in human annexin II.

Site-directed mutagenesis was employed to map and characterize Ca(2+)-binding sites in annexin II, a member of the annexin family of Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-binding proteins which serves as a major cellular substrate for the tyrosine kinase encoded by the src oncogene. Several single amino acid substitutions were introduced in the human annexin II and the various mutant proteins were scored for their affinity towards Ca2+ in different assays. The data support our previous finding [Thiel, C., Weber, K. and Gerke V. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 14,732-14,739] that a Ca(2+)-binding site is present in the third of the four repeat segments which comprise the 33-kDa protein core of annexin II. In addition to Gly206 and Thr207, which are localized in the highly conserved endonexin fold of the third repeat, Glu246 is involved in the formation of this site. Thus the architecture of this Ca(2+)-binding site in solution is very similar, if not identical, to that of Ca2+ sites identified recently in annexin V crystals [Huber, R., Schneider, M., Mayr, I., R?misch, J. and Paques, E.-P. (1990) FEBS Lett. 275, 15-21]. In addition to the site in repeat 3, we have mapped sites of presumably similar architecture in repeats 2 and 4 of annexin II. Again, an acidic amino acid which is located 40 residues C-terminal to the conserved glycine at position 4 of the endonexin fold is indispensable for high-affinity Ca2+ binding: Asp161 in the second and Asp321 in the fourth repeat. In contrast, repeat 1 does not contain an acidic amino acid at a corresponding position and also shows deviations from the other repeats in the sequence surrounding the conserved glycine. These results on annexin II together with the crystallographic information on annexin V reveal that annexins can differ in the position of the Ca2+ sites. Ca(2+)-binding sites of similar structure are present in repeats 2, 3, and 4 of annexin II while in annexin V they occur in repeats 1, 2, and 4. We also synthesized an annexin II derivative with mutations in all three Ca2+ sites. This molecule shows a greatly reduced affinity for the divalent cation. However, it is still able to bind Ca2+, indicating the presence of (an) additional Ca2+ site(s) of presumably different architecture.     

The C terminus of annexin II mediates binding to F-actin

Annexin II heterotetramer (AIIt) is a multifunctional Ca(2+)-binding protein composed of two 11-kDa subunits and two annexin II subunits. The annexin II subunit contains the binding sites for anionic phospholipids, heparin, and F-actin, whereas the p11 subunit provides a regulatory function. The F-actin-binding site is presently unknown. In the present study we have utilized site-directed mutagenesis to create annexin II mutants with truncations in the C terminus of the molecule. Interestingly, a mutant annexin II lacking its C-terminal 16, 13, or 9 amino acids was unable to bind to F-actin but still retained its ability to interact with both anionic phospholipids and heparin. Recombinant AIIt, composed of wild-type p11 subunits and the mutant annexin II subunits, was also unable to bundle F-actin. This loss of F-actin bundling activity was directly attributable to the inability of mutant AIIt to bind F-actin. These results establish for the first time that the annexin II C-terminal amino acid residues, LLYLCGGDD, participate in F-actin binding.     

The subcellular distribution of early endosomes is affected by the annexin II2p11(2) complex

The tyrosine kinase substrate annexin II is a member of a multigene family of Ca2+ and lipid-binding proteins which have been implicated in a number of membrane-related events. We have analyzed the subcellular distribution of annexin II in relation to other cellular components in normal and specifically manipulated MDCK cells. In a polarized monolayer of MDCK cells annexin II and its cellular ligand p11 are restricted almost exclusively to the cortical regions of the cells which also contain peripheral early endosomes. Treatment of the polarized cells with low Ca2+ medium leads to a disintegration of the cortical cytoskeleton and a translocation of both, the annexin II2p11(2) complex and early endosomes, to the cytoplasm. A similar translocation which is however specific for the annexin II2p11(2) complex and early endosomes and does not affect other elements of the cell cortex is observed in cells expressing a trans-dominant annexin II- p11 mutant. This chimeric mutant protein causes the aggregation of endogenous annexin II and p11 and the simultaneous detachment of early endosomes from the cell periphery resulting in the binding of the early endosomes but no other components of the endocytotic or biosynthetic pathways to the annexin II/p11 aggregates. The specificity of this effect argues for the association of the annexin II2p11(2) complex with early endosomes and suggests that this association contributes to establish the peripheral localization of early endosomal structures.     

Annexin A2/P11 interaction: new insights into annexin A2 tetramer structure by chemical crosslinking, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and computational modeling

During the past few years, the structural analysis of proteins and protein complexes by chemical crosslinking and mass spectrometry has enjoyed increasing popularity. With this approach we have investigated the quaternary structure of the complex between annexin A2 and p11, which is involved in numerous cellular processes. Although high-resolution data are available for both interaction partners as well as for the complex between two p11 subunits and two annexin A2 N-terminal peptides, the structure of the complete annexin A2/p11 heterotetramer has not yet been solved at high resolution. Thus, the quaternary structure of the biologically relevant, membrane-bound annexin A2/p11 complex is still under discussion, while the existence of a heterotetramer or a heterooctamer is the prevailing opinion. We gained further insight into the spatial organization of the annexin A2/p11 heterotetramer by employing chemical crosslinking combined with high-resolution mass spectrometry. Furthermore, tandem mass spectrometry served as a tool for an exact localization of crosslinked amino acid residues and for a confirmation of crosslinked product assignment. On the basis of distance constraints from the crosslinking data we derived structural models of the annexin A2/p11 heterotetramer by computational docking with Rosetta. We propose an octameric model for the annexin A2/p11 complex, which exerts annexin A2 function. The proposed structure of the annexin A2/p11 octamer differs from so far suggested models and sheds new light into annexin A2/p11 interaction.     

Modulation of ATPase activity by physical disengagement of the ATP-binding domains of an ABC transporter, the histidine permease.

The membrane-bound complex of the prokaryotic histidine permease, a periplasmic protein-dependent ABC transporter, is composed of two hydrophobic subunits, HisQ and HisM, and two identical ATP-binding subunits, HisP, and is energized by ATP hydrolysis. The soluble periplasmic binding protein, HisJ, creates a signal that induces ATP hydrolysis by HisP. The crystal structure of HisP has been resolved and shown to have an "L" shape, with one of its arms (arm I) being involved in ATP binding and the other one (arm II) being proposed to interact with the hydrophobic subunits (Hung, L.-W., Wang, I. X., Nikaido, K., Liu, P.-Q., Ames, G. F.-L., and Kim, S.-H. (1998) Nature 396, 703-707). Here we study the basis for the defect of several HisP mutants that have an altered signaling pathway and hydrolyze ATP constitutively. We use biochemical approaches to show that they produce a loosely assembled membrane complex, in which the mutant HisP subunits are disengaged from HisQ and HisM, suggesting that the residues involved are important in the interaction between HisP and the hydrophobic subunits. In addition, the mutant HisPs are shown to have lower affinity for ADP and to display no cooperativity for ATP. All of the residues affected in these HisP mutants are located in arm II of the crystal structure of HisP, thus supporting the proposed function of arm II of HisP as interacting with HisQ and HisM. A revised model involving a cycle of disengagement and reengagement of HisP is proposed as a general mechanism of action for ABC transporters.     

Primary structure of human, chicken, and Xenopus laevis p11, a cellular ligand of the Src-kinase substrate, annexin II.

The p11 protein is a member of the S-100 family of Ca(2+)-binding proteins and serves within the cell as a ligand of the tyrosine kinase substrate, annexin II. To obtain more structural information on this molecule, we have isolated and characterized p11 cDNA clones from several different species. A comparison of the deduced amino acid (aa) sequences reveals that mammalian and avian p11 are highly similar (at least 90% identical at the aa level), whereas p11 from Xenopus laevis shows a considerable degree of sequence variation (the aa sequence identity drops to approx. 60% when compared to mammalian or chicken p11). Interestingly, the C-terminal 18 aa, which are unique to p11 within the S-100 family, show a relatively high conservation among species. This high evolutionary conservation is in line with a structurally and/or functionally important role of this C terminus, e.g., in annexin II binding.     

Cloning and characterization of the annexin II receptor on human marrow stromal cells

Annexin II is a heterotetramer, consisting of two 11-kDa (p11) and two 36-kDa (p36) subunits, that is produced by osteoclasts and stimulates osteoclast formation. However, its receptor is unknown. We showed that annexin II binds to normal primary human marrow stromal cells and the Paget's marrow-derived PSV10 stromal cell line to induce osteoclast formation. 125I-Labeled annexin II binding assays with PSV10 cells demonstrated that there was a single class of annexin II receptors with a Kd of 5.79 nm and Bmax of 2.13 x 10(5) receptors/cell. Annexin III or annexin V did not bind this receptor. Using 125I-labeled annexin II binding to screen NIH3T3 transfected with a human marrow cDNA expression library, we identified a putative annexin II receptor clone, which encoded a novel 26-kDa type I membrane receptor protein when expressed in HEK 293 cells. HEK 293 cells transformed with the cloned annexin II receptor cDNA showed a similar binding affinity to annexin II as that observed in PSV10 cells. Chemical cross-linking experiments with biotinylated annexin II and intact PSV10 cells identified a 55-kDa band on Western blot analysis that reacted with both an anti-p11 antibody and streptavidin but not anti-p36 antibody. A rabbit polyclonal antibody raised against the putative recombinant annexin II receptor also recognized the same 26-kDa protein band detected in PSV10 cells. Importantly, the annexin II receptor antibody dose-dependently blocked the stimulatory effects of annexin II on human osteoclast formation, demonstrating that the receptor mediates the effects of annexin II on osteoclast formation.     

Characterization of a Ca(2+)-binding site in human annexin II by site-directed mutagenesis.

Annexin II, a major cytoplasmic substrate of the src tyrosine kinase, is a member of the annexin family of Ca2+/phospholipid-binding proteins. It is composed of a short N-terminal tail (30 residues) followed by four so-called annexin repeats (each 70-80 residues in length) which share sequence homologies and are thought to form (a) new type(s) of Ca(2+)-binding site(s). We have produced wild-type and site specifically mutated annexin II molecules to compare their structure and biochemistry. The recombinant wild-type annexin II displays biochemical and spectroscopical properties resembling those of the authentic protein purified from mammalian cells. In particular, it shows the Ca(2+)-induced blue shift in fluorescence emission which is typical for this annexin. Replacement of the single tryptophan in annexin II (Trp-212) by a phenylalanine abolishes the fluorescence signal and allows the unambiguous assignment of the Ca(2+)-sensitive spectroscopic properties to Trp-212. This residue is located in the third annexin repeat in a highly conserved stretch of 17 amino acids which are also found in the other repeats and known as the endonexin fold. To study the precise architecture of the Ca2+ site which must reside in close proximity to Trp-212, we changed several residues of the endonexin fold in repeat 3 by site-directed mutagenesis. An analysis of these mutants by fluorescence spectroscopy and Ca(2+)-dependent phospholipid binding reveals that Gly-206 and Thr-207 seem indispensible for a correct folding of this Ca(2+)-binding site.     

Structural basis for the high-affinity binding of nucleoporin Nup1p to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae importin-beta homologue, Kap95p

Macromolecules are transported across the nuclear envelope most frequently by karyopherin/importin-beta superfamily members that are constructed from HEAT repeats. Transport of Kap95p (yeast importin-beta), the principal carrier for protein import, through nuclear pore complexes is facilitated by interactions with nucleoporins containing FG repeats. However, Nup1p interacts more strongly with Kap95p than other FG-nucleoporins. To establish the basis of this increased affinity, we determined the structure of Kap95p complexed with Nup1p residues 963-1076 that contain the high-affinity Kap95p binding site. Nup1p binds Kap95p at three sites between the outer A-helices of HEAT repeats 5, 6, 7 and 8. At each site, phenylalanine residues from Nup1p are buried in hydrophobic depressions between adjacent HEAT repeats. Although the Nup1p and generic FG-nucleoporin binding sites on Kap95p overlap, Nup1p binding differs markedly and has contributions from additional hydrophobic residues, together with interactions generated by the intimate contact of the linker between Nup1 residues 977-987 with Kap95p. The length and composition of this linker is crucial and suggests how differences in affinity for Kap95p both between and within FG-nucleoporins arise.     

Expression of a releasable form of annexin II by human keratinocytes

Annexin II is a multifunctional calcium-dependent phospholipid binding protein whose presence in epidermis has previously been reported. However, like other members of annexin family, annexin II has been regarded as either an intracellular protein or associated with the cellular membrane. Here, we report the presence of a releasable annexin II and p11, two monomers of annexin II tetramer, in keratinocyte-conditioned medium (KCM). Proteins present in KCM were fractionated on a gel filtration column and following further evaluation, a releasable protein with apparent MW of 36 kDa was identified. Further characterization identified this protein as the p36 monomer of annexin II tetramer. The phospho-tyrosine antibody did not visualize this protein as the phosphorylated form of p36. Several experiments were conducted to examine whether this protein is soluble or associated with keratinocyte cell membranes in the conditioned medium. A centrifugation of conditioned medium was not able to bring this protein down into the pellet. Surprisingly, the results of Western analysis identified p36 and p11, two monomers of the annexin II tetramer, in conditioned medium derived from either keratinocytes cultured alone or keratinocytes co-cultured with fibroblasts. In contrast to the keratinocyte-conditioned medium in which annexin II was easily detectable, both monomers were barely detectable in conditioned medium collected from dermal fibroblasts. This finding was in contrast to the cell lysates in which p36 was detectable in both keratinocytes and fibroblasts. However, the amount of this protein was markedly higher in keratinocyte lysate relative to that of dermal fibroblasts. Conditioned medium derived from keratinocyte established from adult showed a higher level of annexin II compared to that of keratinocytes established from newborn babies. The expression of p11 seems to increase with differentiation of keratinocytes derived from either adult or newborn skin samples. When the site of annexin synthesis in human skin was examined by immunohistochemical staining, the antibody for p36 localized the annexin to the keratinocyte cell members in the basal and suprabasal keratinocytes. In conclusion, Western blot detection of both p36 and p11 in conditioned medium from skin cells revealed that human keratinocytes, but not fibroblasts, express a releasable monomer form of annexin II which is regulated by differentiation status of keratinocytes. This finding is consistent with the localization of annexin II detected by immunohistochemical staining.     

Annexin II in exocytosis: catecholamine secretion requires the translocation of p36 to the subplasmalemmal region in chromaffin cells

Annexin II is a Ca(2+)-dependent membrane-binding protein present in a wide variety of cells and tissues. Within cells, annexin II is found either as a 36-kD monomer (p36) or as a heterotetrameric complex (p90) coupled with the S-100-related protein, p11. Annexin II has been suggested to be involved in exocytosis as it can restore the secretory responsiveness of permeabilized chromaffin cells. By quantitative confocal immunofluorescence, immunoreplica analysis and immunoprecipitation, we show here the translocation of p36 from the cytosol to a subplasmalemmal Triton X-100 insoluble fraction in chromaffin cells following nicotinic stimulation. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the NH2-terminal domain of p36 which contains the phosphorylation sites was microinjected into individual chromaffin cells and catecholamine secretion was monitored by amperometry. This peptide blocked completely the nicotine-induced recruitment of p36 to the cell periphery and strongly inhibited exocytosis evoked by either nicotine or high K+. The light chain of annexin II, p11, was selectively expressed by adrenergic chromaffin cells, and was only present in the subplasmalemmal Triton X-100 insoluble protein fraction of both resting and stimulated cells. p11 can modify the Ca(2+)- and/or the phospholipid-binding properties of p36. We found that loss Ca2+ was required to stimulate the translocation of p36 and to trigger exocytosis in adrenergic chromaffin cells. Our findings suggest that the translocation of p36 to the subplasmalemmal region is an essential event in regulated exocytosis and support the idea that the presence of p11 in adrenergic cells may confer a higher Ca2+ affinity to the exocytotic pathway in these cells.     

Increases in p11 and annexin II proteins correlate with differentiation in the PC12 pheochromocytoma.

Regulation of p11 and annexin II by nerve growth factor, staurosporine, and epidermal growth factor was examined in PC12 rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cells using immunoblot analysis. Nerve growth factor, which is known to induce neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells, stimulated a five-fold increase in p11 and the higher levels of p11 were characteristic of PC12 cells exposed to nerve growth factor for up to ten days. Nerve growth factor induced an even greater increase (13.6-fold) in annexin II. Staurosporine, a protein kinase inhibitor that at high concentrations induces neurite formation, was as effective as nerve growth factor in increasing the intracellular levels of p11 and annexin II. Epidermal growth factor was less effective than nerve growth factor and staurosporine, producing only a two-fold increase in p11 and a three-fold increase in annexin II. The ineffectiveness of epidermal growth factor in increasing intracellular levels of p11 and annexin II is consistent with the fact that epidermal growth factor does not stimulate neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells. Evidence presented here suggests that p11 and/or annexin II may play a role in PC12 cell differentiation.     

Glycosylation of annexin I and annexin II.

Human placental annexin I and annexin II were shown to be glycosylated by one-dimensional affinity blotting with the lectin concanavalin A, which recognizes D-mannose and D-glucose residues. Further evidence that annexin I and annexin II are glycosylated was provided by the finding that these proteins incorporated D-[2,6-3H]mannose and D-[6-3H]glucose when they were biosynthesized by the human squamous carcinoma cell line SqCC/Y1. Annexin I and annexin II could be rapidly purified from a human placental membrane extract by concanavalin A-Sepharose, which indicated that these proteins contain two biantennary mannosyl residues.     

Modes of annexin-membrane interactions analyzed by employing chimeric annexin proteins

Annexin II is a member of the annexin family of Ca(2+)- and phospholipid-binding proteins which is particularly enriched on early endosomal membranes and has been implicated in participating in endocytic events. In contrast to other endosomal annexins the association of annexin II with its target membrane can occur in the absence of Ca(2+) in a manner depending on the unique N-terminal domain of the protein. However, endosome binding of annexin II does not require formation of a protein complex with the intracellular ligand S100A10 (p11) as an annexin II mutant protein (PM AnxII) incapable of interacting with p11 is still present on endosomal membranes. Fusion of the N-terminal sequence of this PM AnxII (residues 1-27) to the conserved protein core of annexin I transfers the capability of Ca(2+)-independent membrane binding to the otherwise Ca(2+)-sensitive annexin I. These results underscore the importance of the N-terminal sequence of annexin II for the Ca(2+)-independent endosome association and argue for a direct interaction of this sequence with an endosomal membrane receptor.     

Interaction of the C-terminal domain of p43 and the alpha subunit of ATP synthase. Its functional implication in endothelial cell proliferation.

Human p43 is associated with macromolecular tRNA synthase complex and known as a precursor of endothelial monocyte-activating polypeptide II (EMAP II). Interestingly, p43 is also secreted to induce proinflammatory genes. Although p43 itself seems to be a cytokine working at physiological conditions, most of the functional studies have been obtained with its C-terminal equivalent, EMAP II. To gain an insight into the working mechanism of p43/EMAP II, we used EMAP II and searched for an interacting cell surface molecule. The level of EMAP II-binding molecule(s) was significantly increased in serum-starved tumor cells. Thus, the EMAP II-binding molecule was isolated from the membrane of the serum-starved CEM cell. The isolated protein was determined to be the alpha subunit of ATP synthase. The interaction of EMAP II and alpha-ATP synthase was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in vitro pull down assays and blocked with the antibodies raised against EMAP II and alpha-ATP synthase. The binding of EMAP II to the surface of serum-starved cells was inhibited in the presence of soluble alpha-ATP synthase. EMAP II inhibited the growth of endothelial cells, and this effect was relieved by soluble alpha-ATP synthase. Anti-alpha-ATP synthase antibody also showed an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of endothelial cells mimicking the activity of EMAP II. These results suggest the potential interaction of p43/EMAP II with alpha-ATP synthase and its role in the proliferation of endothelial cells.     

Engineering, biophysical characterisation and binding properties of a soluble mutant form of annexin A2 domain IV that adopts a partially folded conformation

The four approximately 75-residue domains (repeats) that constitute the annexin core structure all possess an identical five-alpha-helix bundle topology, but the physico-chemical properties of the isolated domains are different. Domain IV of the annexins has previously been expressed only as inclusion bodies, resistant to solubilisation. Analysis of the conserved, exposed hydrophobic residues of the four annexin domains reveals that domain IV contains the largest number of hydrophobic residues involved in interfacial contacts with the other domains. We designed five constructs of domain IV of annexin A2 in which several interfacial hydrophobic residues were substituted by hydrophilic residues. The mutant domain, in which all fully exposed hydrophobic interfacial residues were substituted, was isolated as a soluble protein. Circular dichroism measurements indicate that it harbours a high content of alpha-helical secondary structure and some tertiary structure. The CD-monitored (lambda=222 nm) thermal melting profile suggests a weak cooperative transition. Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-15N) correlation spectroscopy reveals heterogeneous line broadening and an intermediate spectral dispersion. These properties are indicative of a partially folded protein in which some residues are in a fairly structured conformation, whereas others are in an unfolded state. This conclusion is corroborated by 1-anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonate fluorescence (ANS) analyses. Surface plasmon resonance measurements also indicate that this domain binds heparin, a known ligand of domain IV in the full-length annexin A2, although with lower affinity.     

Affinity purification of ubiquitin-protein ligase on immobilized protein substrates. Evidence for the existence of separate NH2-terminal binding sites on a single enzyme

Previous studies have indicated the existence of separate binding sites of ubiquitin-protein ligase, E3, specific for basic (Type I) or bulky hydrophobic (Type II) NH2-terminal amino acid residues of proteins. Another class (Type III) of protein substrates appeared to interact with E3 at regions other than the NH2 terminus (Reiss, Y., Kaim, D., and Hershko, A. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 2693-2698). In the present study we have used affinity chromatography on immobilized protein substrates to examine the question of whether the different binding sites belong to one E3 enzyme, or to different E3 species. Another objective was to develop a procedure for the extensive purification of E3. When a crude extract of reticulocytes is applied to Type I or Type II protein substrates linked to Sepharose, E3 becomes strongly bound to the affinity columns and is not eluted with salt at high concentration. However, the enzyme can be specifically eluted by a dipeptide that has an NH2-terminal residue similar to that of matrix-bound protein substrate. A 350-fold purification is obtained in this single step. Preparations of E3 purified on either Type I or Type II protein substrate affinity columns act on both types of protein substrates, indicating that the separate binding sites for basic and hydrophobic NH2-terminal residues belong to one enzyme. Another species of E3 that acts strongly on some Type III protein substrates does not bind to Type I or Type II protein substrate affinity columns.     

Identification of regions responsible for the open conformation of S100A10 using chimaeric S100A11-S100A10 proteins

S100A11 is a dimeric EF-hand calcium-binding protein. Calcium binding to S100A11 results in a large conformational change that uncovers a broad hydrophobic surface used to interact with phospholipid-binding proteins (annexins A1 and A2) and facilitate membrane vesiculation events. In contrast with other S100 proteins, S100A10 is unable to bind calcium due to deletion and substitution of calcium-ligating residues. Despite this, calcium-free S100A10 assumes an 'open' conformation that is very similar to S100A11 in its calcium-bound state. To understand how S100A10 is able to adopt an open conformation in the absence of calcium, seven chimaeric proteins were constructed where regions from calcium-binding sites I and II, and helices II-IV in S100A11 were replaced with the corresponding regions of S100A10. The chimaeric proteins having substitutions in calcium-binding site II displayed increased hydrophobic surface exposure as assessed by bis-ANS (4,4'-dianilino-1,1'-binaphthyl-5,5'disulfonic acid, dipotassium salt) fluorescence and phenyl-Sepharose binding in the absence of calcium. This response is similar to that observed for Ca2+-S100A11 and calcium-free S100A10. Further, this substitution resulted in calcium-insensitive binding to annexin A2 for one chimaeric protein. The results indicate that residues within site II are important in stabilizing the open conformation of S100A10 and presentation of its target binding site. In contrast, S100A11 chimaeric proteins with helical substitutions displayed poorer hydrophobic surface exposure and, consequently, unobservable annexin A2 binding. The present study represents a first attempt to systematically understand the molecular basis for the calcium-insensitive open conformation of S100A10.