Ca2+-binding proteins in nuclei

Nuclei isolated from skeletal muscle of 15-day-old chick embryos, adult chickens, rabbits and from rat liver contain on the average 8-18 nmol Ca2+/mg protein. Digestion of nuclei with DNAase I and RNAase at 37 degrees C for 8--12 h reduced the Ca2+ binding by more than 90%. After nuclease treatment, Ca2+-binding proteins were identified in the nonhistone chromosomal protein fractions and in the insoluble residue by equilibrium dialysis and centrifuge transport, in media of 0.1 M KCl and 1 mM MgCl2. The interaction of Ca2+-binding proteins with chromatin may be of importance in the regulation of the gene expression in response to changes in cytoplasmic and nucleoplasmic free-Ca2+ concentration.     

Identification of bovine brain Ca2+-binding proteins

In a previous communication (Waisman, D.M., Smallwood, J.I., Lafreniere, D. and Rasmussen, H. (1983) Biochem, Biophys. Res. Commun. 116, 435-441) we reported that chromatography of bovine brain 100,000 X g supernatant on diethylaminoethyl (DEAE) cellulose and analysis of resultant fractions by chelex competitive calcium binding assay, resolved three peaks of calcium binding activity. Gel permeation chromatographic analysis of each peak resolved apparent Mr 40,000 (Peak I), Mr 75,000, Mr 230,000 and Mr 420,000 (Peak II), and Mr 38,000 (Peak III). In the present communication the calcium binding proteins responsible for the calcium binding activity peaks resolved by gel permeation chromatography, have been purified and identified as caligulin, (Mr 40,000), calcineurin, (Mr 230,000) and calmodulin, (Mr 38,000). In addition, a novel calcium binding protein (Mr 48,000 by SDS PAGE) has been identified from the Mr 75,000 calcium binding activity peak.     

The interaction of calmodulin with the carbocyanine dye (Stains-all)

The dye "Stains-all" combines with calmodulin to yield a series of complex species whose absorption and circular dichroism spectra are sensitive to the presence of Ca2+ or Mg2+. At high dye:calmodulin ratios, the dominant complex formed is characterized by a strong absorption band at 600-650 nm, which is associated with a biphasic circular dichroism band. These spectral features are abolished in the presence of Ca2+.     

Caleosins: Ca2+-binding proteins associated with lipid bodies

We have previously identified a rice gene encoding a 27 kDa protein with a single Ca²⁺-binding EF-hand and a putative membrane anchor. We report here similar genes termed caleosins, CLO, in other plants and fungi; they comprise a multigene family of at least five members in Arabidopsis (AtClo1–5). Northern hybridization demonstrated that AtClo2–4 mRNAs levels were low in various tissues, while AtClo1 mRNA levels were high in developing embryos and mature seeds. Analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing the GUS reporter under control of the AtClo1 promoter showed strong levels of expression in developing embryos and also in root tip cells. Antibodies raised against AtCLO1 were used to detect caleosin in cellular fractions of Arabidopsis and rapeseed. This indicated that caleosins are a novel class of lipid body proteins, which may also be associated with an ER subdomain.     

Responses of Ca2+-binding proteins to localized,transient changes in intracellular [Ca2+

In smooth muscle cells, various transient, localized [Ca(2+)] changes have been observed that are thought to regulate cell function without necessarily inducing contraction. Although a great deal of effort has been put into detecting these transients and elucidating the mechanisms involved in their generation, the extent to which these transient Ca(2+) signals interact with intracellular Ca(2+)-binding molecules remains relatively unknown. To understand how the spatial and temporal characteristics of an intracellular Ca(2+) signal influence its interaction with Ca(2+)-binding proteins, mathematical models of Ca(2+) diffusion and regulation in smooth muscle cells were used to study Ca(2+) binding to prototypical proteins with one or two Ca(2+)-binding sites. Simulations with the models: (1) demonstrate the extent to which the rate constants for Ca(2+)-binding to proteins and the spatial and temporal characteristics of different Ca(2+) transients influence the magnitude and time course of the responses of these proteins to the transients; (2) predict significant differences in the responses of proteins with one or two Ca(2+)-binding sites to individual Ca(2+) transients and to trains of transients; (3) demonstrate how the kinetic characteristics determine the fidelity with which the responses of Ca(2+)-sensitive molecules reflect the magnitude and time course of transient Ca(2+) signals. Overall, this work demonstrates the clear need for complete information about the kinetics of Ca(2+) binding for determining how well Ca(2+)-binding molecules respond to different types of Ca(2+) signals. These results have important implications when considering the possible modulation of Ca(2+)- and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent proteins by localized intracellular Ca(2+) transients in smooth muscle cells and, more generally, in other cell types.     

Ca2+ -binding proteins and contractility of the infraciliary lattice in Paramecium

The infraciliary lattice (ICL) is the innermost cortical cytoskeletal network of Paramecium. Its meshes which run around the proximal end of basal bodies form a continuous contractile network beneath the cell surface. We had previously shown that the network, which could be recovered in a contracted form and selectively solubilized by EGTA from an ICL-enriched cell fraction, was principally composed of 23–24 kDa polypeptides cross-reacting with antibodies raised against the 22 kDa Ca²⁺ -binding proteins of the ecto-endoplasmic boundary (EEB), a contractile cytoskeletal network of another ciliate Isotricha prostoma. We show here 1) that the ICL also comprises a 220 kDa polypeptide; 2) that the 23–24 kDa polypeptides are resolved in 2D gels into 11 spots of acidic pI, 7 of which are both Ca²⁺ -binding and cross-reacting with the anti EEB polypeptides; 3) that the network displays a high Ca²⁺ -affinity as the treshold for solubilization/co-precipitation of both high and low MW polypeptides is around 10⁻⁸ M free Ca²⁺ ; 4) that in vivo contraction of the network occurs upon physiological increase of internal calcium concentration. The likely phylogenetic relationships of the 23–24 kDa ICL polypeptides with the calmodulin related family of Ca²⁺ -modulated polypeptides and the functions of the ICL in cell contractility and Ca²⁺ homeostasis are discussed.     

Sequence homology of the Ca2+-dependent regulator of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase from rat testis with other Ca2+-binding proteins.

A Ca2+-dependent regulator protein of cyclic 3':5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.17) has previously been isolated from rat testis and shown to be a heat-stable, Ca2+-binding protein with a molecular weight of approximately 17,000. The Ca2+-dependent regulator protein is also structurally similar to troponin-C, the Ca2+-binding component of muscle troponin and Ca2+ mediator of muscle contraction. The present report describes a partial amino acid sequence of the Ca2+-dependent regulator. The protein (148 amino acids) is 50% homologous with skeletal muscle troponin-C, but is 11 residues shorter than the muscle protein. The Ca2+-dependent regulator protein has an NH2-terminal sequence of acetyl-Ala-Asp-Glu, a COOH-terminal sequence of Thr-Ala-Lys and 1 residue of epsilon-trimethyllysine located at position 115. All of these properties are distinct from those of other homologous Ca2+-binding proteins. These properties may account for the biological specificities demonstrated by these proteins as compared to the Ca2+-dependent regulator protein. Based on the sequence and a comparison of the Ca2+-dependent regulator protein to other calcium-binding proteins, our data support the view that all of these moecules contain common sequences, especially at their proposed metal-binding sites.     

Structures,functions and molecular evolution of the penta-EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins

Penta-EF-hand (PEF) proteins comprise a family of Ca(2+)-binding proteins that have five repetitive EF-hand motifs. Among the eight alpha-helices (alpha1-alpha8), alpha4 and alpha7 link EF2-EF3 and EF4-EF5, respectively. In addition to the structural similarities in the EF-hand regions, the PEF protein family members have common features: (i) dimerization through unpaired C-terminal EF5s, (ii) possession of hydrophobic Gly/Pro-rich N-terminal domains, and (iii) Ca(2+)-dependent translocation to membranes. Based on comparison of amino acid sequences, mammalian PEF proteins are classified into two groups: Group I PEF proteins (ALG-2 and peflin) and Group II PEF proteins (Ca(2+)-dependent protease calpain subfamily members, sorcin and grancalcin). The Group I genes have also been found in lower animals, plants, fungi and protists. Recent findings of specific interacting proteins have started to gradually unveil the functions of the noncatalytic mammalian PEF proteins.     

Regulation of InsP3 receptor activity by neuronal Ca2+-binding proteins

Inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (InsP(3)Rs) were recently demonstrated to be activated independently of InsP(3) by a family of calmodulin (CaM)-like neuronal Ca(2+)-binding proteins (CaBPs). We investigated the interaction of both naturally occurring long and short CaBP1 isoforms with InsP(3)Rs, and their functional effects on InsP(3)R-evoked Ca(2+) signals. Using several experimental paradigms, including transient expression in COS cells, acute injection of recombinant protein into Xenopus oocytes and (45)Ca(2+) flux from permeabilised COS cells, we demonstrated that CaBPs decrease the sensitivity of InsP(3)-induced Ca(2+) release (IICR). In addition, we found a Ca(2+)-independent interaction between CaBP1 and the NH(2)-terminal 159 amino acids of the type 1 InsP(3)R. This interaction resulted in decreased InsP(3) binding to the receptor reminiscent of that observed for CaM. Unlike CaM, however, CaBPs do not inhibit ryanodine receptors, have a higher affinity for InsP(3)Rs and more potently inhibited IICR. We also show that phosphorylation of CaBP1 at a casein kinase 2 consensus site regulates its inhibition of IICR. Our data suggest that CaBPs are endogenous regulators of InsP(3)Rs tuning the sensitivity of cells to InsP(3).     

Detection of Ca(2+)-binding proteins by electrophoretic migration in the presence of Ca2+ combined with 45Ca2+ overlay of protein blots.

When high affinity Ca(2+)-binding proteins like calmodulin, or proteins with a high Ca(2+)-binding capacity like calsequestrin, underwent sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis in Laemmli systems, their electrophoretic migration rates were much higher in gels containing 1 mM Ca2+ than in gels containing ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether) N,N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Replacement of EGTA by Ca2+ in the gel, combined with the blotting of electrophoretically separated proteins on polyvinylidene difluoride membranes and subsequent 45Ca2+ overlay, proved a very effective means of detecting Ca(2+)-binding proteins. This combined approach is important since artifacts occur in both techniques when used separately. We found that the usual procedure of adding Ca2+ to the sample before electrophoresis without including it in the gel itself (C.B. Klee, T. H. Crouch, and M. H. Krinks, 1979, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 76, 6270-6273) permitted the detection of only very high affinity Ca(2+)-binding proteins.     

Structures of EF-hand Ca 2+-binding proteins: Diversity in the organization, packing and response to Ca 2+ Binding

The growing database of three-dimensional structures of EF-hand calcium-binding proteins is revealing a previously unrecognized variability in the coformations and organizations of EF-hand binding motifs. The structures of twelve different EF-hand proteins for which coordinates are publicly available are discussed and related to their respective biological and biophysical properties. The classical picture of calcium sensors and calcium signal modulators is presented, along with variants on the basic theme and new structural paradigms.© Kluwer Academic Publishers     

The renaissance of Ca2+-binding proteins in the nervous system: secretagogin takes center stage

Effective control of the Ca²⁺ homeostasis in any living cell is paramount to coordinate some of the most essential physiological processes, including cell division, morphological differentiation, and intercellular communication. Therefore, effective homeostatic mechanisms have evolved to maintain the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration at physiologically adequate levels, as well as to regulate the spatial and temporal dynamics of Ca²⁺signaling at subcellular resolution. Members of the superfamily of EF-hand Ca²⁺-binding proteins are effective to either attenuate intracellular Ca²⁺ transients as stochiometric buffers or function as Ca²⁺ sensors whose conformational change upon Ca²⁺ binding triggers protein-protein interactions, leading to cell state-specific intracellular signaling events. In the central nervous system, some EF-hand Ca²⁺-binding proteins are restricted to specific subtypes of neurons or glia, with their expression under developmental and/or metabolic control. Therefore, Ca²⁺-binding proteins are widely used as molecular markers of cell identity whilst also predicting excitability and neurotransmitter release profiles in response to electrical stimuli. Secretagogin is a novel member of the group of EF-hand Ca²⁺-binding proteins whose expression precedes that of many other Ca²⁺-binding proteins in postmitotic, migratory neurons in the embryonic nervous system. Secretagogin expression persists during neurogenesis in the adult brain, yet becomes confined to regionalized subsets of differentiated neurons in the adult central and peripheral nervous and neuroendocrine systems. Secretagogin may be implicated in the control of neuronal turnover and differentiation, particularly since it is re-expressed in neoplastic brain and endocrine tumors and modulates cell proliferation in vitro. Alternatively, and since secretagogin can bind to SNARE proteins, it might function as a Ca²⁺ sensor/coincidence detector modulating vesicular exocytosis of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides or hormones. Thus, secretagogin emerges as a functionally multifaceted Ca²⁺-binding protein whose molecular characterization can unravel a new and fundamental dimension of Ca²⁺signaling under physiological and disease conditions in the nervous system and beyond.     

Measurement of Ca2+-binding constants of proteins and presentation of the CaLigator software

The complexity of Ca2+ cell signaling is dependent on a plethoria of Ca2+-binding proteins that respond to signals in different ranges of Ca2+ concentrations. Since the function of these proteins is directly coupled to their Ca2+-binding properties, there is a need for accurately determined equilibrium Ca2+-binding constants. In this work we outline the experimental techniques available to determine Ca2+-binding constants in proteins, derive the models used to describe the binding, and present CaLigator, software for least-square fitting directly to the measured quantity. The use of the software is illustrated for Ca2+-binding data obtained for two deamidated forms of calbindin D(9k), either an isospartate-56 (beta form) or a normal Asp-56 (alpha form). Here, the Ca2+-binding properties of the two isoforms have been studied using the chelator method. The alpha form shows similar Ca2+-binding properties to the wild type while the beta form has lost both cooperativety and affinity.     

Ca2+ and Mg2+-binding and a putative calmodulin type Ca2+-binding site in Synechococcus Photosystem II

Thylakoids and Photosystem II particles prepared from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7942 washed with a HEPES/glycerol buffer exhibited low rates of light-induced oxygen evolution. Addition of either Ca²⁺ or Mg²⁺ to both thylakoids and Photosystem II particles increased oxygen evolution independently, maximal rates being obtained by addition of both ions. If either preparation was washed with NaCl, light induced O₂ evolution was completely inhibited, but re-activated in the same manner by Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ but to a lower level. In the presence of Mg²⁺, the reactivation of O₂ evolution by Ca²⁺ allowed sigmoid kinetics, implying co-operative binding. The results are interpreted as indicating that not only Ca²⁺, but also Mg²⁺, is essential for light-induced oxygen evolution in thylakoids and Photosystem II particles from Synechococcus PC 7942. The significance of the reactivation kinetics is discussed. Reactivation by Ca²⁺ was inhibited by antibodies to mammalian calmodulin, indicating that the binding site in Photosystem II may be analogous to that of this protein.Abbreviation HEPES n-2-Hydroxyethylpiperazine--2-ethane sulphonic acid     

Evolutionary and physical linkage between calpains and penta-EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins

The name calpain was historically given to a protease that is activated by Ca(2+) and whose primary structure contains a Ca(2+)-binding penta-EF-hand (PEF) as well as a calpain cysteine protease (CysPc) domain and a C2-domain-like (C2L) domain. In the human genome, CysPc domains are found in 15 genes, but only nine of them encode PEF domains. Fungi and budding yeasts have calpain-like sequences that lack the PEF domain, and each protein (designated PalB and Rim13, respectively) is orthologous to human calpain-7, indicating that the calpain-7 orthologs are evolutionarily more conserved than classical calpains possessing PEF domains. An N-terminal region of calpain-7 has a tandem repeat of microtubule-interacting and transport domains that interact with a subset of endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) III proteins. In addition to calpains, PEF domains are found in other Ca(2+)-binding proteins including ALG-2 that associates with ALIX (an ESCRT-III accessory protein) and TSG101 (an ESCRT-I subunit). Phylogenetic comparison of dissected domain structures of calpains and experimentally confirmed protein-protein interaction networks imply that there is an evolutionary and physical linkage between mammalian calpains and PEF proteins involving the ESCRT system.     

Conformational properties of Ca2+-binding segments of proteins from the troponin C superfamily

The troponin C superfamily consists of about 100 Ca2+-binding proteins. Sequence variations observed in these proteins have been analyzed and lead to the following conclusions. (1) There are some strict rules defining the set of calcium ligands necessary for effective Ca2+ binding. (2) If they are fulfilled, the Ca2+ binding constant depends on tertiary interactions within a protein, as well as the free energy of secondary structures of its polypeptide chain. The former provide a constant contribution to the free energy of protein folding and the Ca2+-binding process. (3) The observed variety in Ca2+-binding constants of these proteins results from the various abilities of segments of these proteins to assume the correct secondary structure.