The binding of vanadium (V) oligoanions to sarcoplasmic reticulum

The binding of monovanadate and decavanadate anions to sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles was measured by equilibrium sedimentation. The affinity of vanadate binding and the molar amount of vanadium (V) bound at equilibrium is much greater with decavanadate than with monovanadate. The binding data can be rationalized in terms of one binding site per ATPase molecule for monovanadate and two sites per ATPase for decavanadate. The Ca-ATPase crystals formed with monovanadate and with decavanadate are similar in appearance, but decavanadate is particularly effective in promoting the crystallization of Ca2+-ATPase at low V concentration (10-100 microM) in a Ca2+-free medium.     

Systematic studies on pH-dependent transformations of dinuclear vanadium(V)-citrate complexes in aqueous solutions. A perspective relevance to aqueous vanadium(V)-citrate speciation

Vanadium(V) involvement in interactions with physiological ligands in biological media prompted us to delve into the systematic pH-dependent synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, and perusal of chemical properties of arising aqueous vanadium(V)-citrate species in the requisite system. To this end, facile reactions led to dinuclear complexes (NH(4))(4)[V(2)O(4)(C(6)H(5)O(7))(2)].4H(2)O (1) and (NH(4))(6)[V(2)O(4)(C(6)H(4)O(7))(2)].6H(2)O (2). Complex 1 and 2 were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and X-ray crystallography. Complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a=16.998(5) A, b=16.768(5) A, c=9.546(3) A, beta=105.22(1) degrees, V=2625(1) A(3), and Z=4. Complex 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1;, with a=9.795(4) A, b=9.942(4) A, c=9.126(3) A, alpha=90.32(1) degrees, beta=111.69(1) degrees, gamma=108.67(1) degrees, V=774.5(5) A(3), and Z=1. The structures of 1 and 2 were consistent with the presence of a V(V)(2)O(2) core, to which citrate ligands of differing protonation state were bound in a coordination mode consistent with past observations. Ultimately, the aqueous pH dependent transformations of a series of three dinuclear complexes, 1, 2 and (NH(4))(2)[V(2)O(4)(C(6)H(6)O(7))(2)].2H(2)O (3), all isolated at pH values from 3 to 7.5, were explored and revealed an important interconnection among all species. Collectively, pH emerged as a determining factor of structural attributes in all three complexes, with the adjoining acid-base chemistry unfolding around the stable V(V)(2)O(2) core. The results point to the participation of all three species in aqueous vanadium(V)-citrate speciation, and may relate the site-specific protonations-deprotonations on the dinuclear complexes to potential biological processes involving vanadium(V) and physiological ligand targets.     

Fluorescence studies of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump.

Intrinsic Tryptophan fluorescence has been used to reveal conformational changes of the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Calcium pump. It is shown that upon binding of calcium ions the fluorescence is enhanced. The effect being reversed after removal of dependence calcium ions by EGTA. The calcium concentration dependence of this fluorescence change and the effect of inhibitors is compared with the activation of calcium dependent ATPase. We conclude that calcium ions induces a conformational change of the calcium pump and that this change is responsible for the activation of the ATPase activity.     

Proteolytic activation of the canine cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump

Mild trypsin treatment of canine cardiac microsomes consisting largely of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles produced a severalfold activation of oxalate-facilitated calcium uptake. The increase in calcium uptake was associated with an increase in ATP hydrolysis. Proteases other than trypsin were also effective although to a lesser degree. Trypsin produced a shift of the Ca2+ concentration dependency curve for calcium uptake toward lower Ca2+ concentrations, which was almost identical with that produced by phosphorylation of microsomes by cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase when the trypsin and the protein kinase were present at maximally activating concentrations. The Hill numbers (+/- SD) of the Ca2+ dependency after treatment of microsomes with trypsin (1.5 +/- 0.1) or protein kinase (1.7 +/- 0.1) were similar and were not significantly different from those for untreated control microsomes (1.6 +/- 0.1 and 1.8 +/- 0.1, respectively). Autoradiograms of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide electrophoretic gels indicate that 32P incorporation into phospholamban (Mr 27.3K) or its presumed monomeric subunit (Mr 5.5K) was markedly reduced when trypsin-treated microsomes were incubated in the presence of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase and [gamma-32P]ATP compared to control microsomes incubated similarly but pretreated with trypsin inhibitor inactivated trypsin. The activation of calcium uptake by increasing concentrations of trypsin was paralleled by the reduction of phosphorylation of phospholamban. Trypsin treatment of microsomes previously thiophosphorylated in the presence of cyclic AMP dependent protein kinase and [gamma-35S]thio-ATP did not result in a loss of 35S label from phospholamban, which suggests that phosphorylation of phospholamban protects against trypsin attack.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Interactions between sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium adenosintriphosphatase and nonionic detergents

The interaction of Triton X-100 and other nonionic detergents with a delipidated preparation of the Ca2+ ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum has been studied. Binding of radiolabeled Triton X-100 was determined by column chromatography at 6 degrees C, and two classes of binding sites were observed. Below the critical micelle concentration (cmc), binding of Triton occurred at 35-40 equivalent sites on the delipidated ATPase with a binding constant of 2.7 X 10(4) M-1. Near the cmc cooperative binding of an additional 70 molecules of the detergent was observed. The binding of monomeric Triton X-100 below the cmc was associated with a parallel activation of over half of the ATPase activity, and the remainder of the activity was recovered after the detergent concentration was increased to the cmc. The ability to reactivate ATPase activity was more dependent on the polar poly(oxyethylene) portion of nonionic detergents than on the hydrocarbon portion. Generalizing for all amphiphiles, these results suggest that there are discrete binding sites on the Ca2+ ATPase for phospholipid molecules in the native membrane and that the polar head groups of phospholipids interact more strongly with the protein than the hydrophobic acyl chains. Perturbations in micelle structure were observed for several nonionic detergents by measurement of cis-parinaric acid fluorescence and differential scanning calorimetry, and discontinuities in Arrhenius plots occurred at the transition temperature of the detergent used for reactivation of ATPase activity. It is concluded that both the physiol state of teh micelle and the intrinsic behavior of the ATPase polypeptide affect the temperature dependence of ATPase activity.     

Low-temperature studies of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump. Mechanisms of calcium binding

The mechanism of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase was investigated at low temperatures (0 to -12 degrees C). Transient states of the enzyme were studied by two complementary techniques: intrinsic protein fluorescence and rapid filtration on Millipore filters. Intrinsic fluorescence was used to distinguish conformational states of the protein and to evaluate the rate of conversion between these states. Filtrations were used to measure the evolution of the active sites during the transition; the time resolution was 2-5 s. At sub-zero temperatures this time is shorter than the lifetime of most of the enzymatic states which have been detected. In this paper the mechanism of Ca2+ binding to the protein is investigated in the absence of nucleotides. Two basic experiments are described; (1) Kinetics of calcium binding and dissociation over a wide range of calcium concentration. (2) Kinetics of calcium exchange (45Ca2+ in equilibrium 40Ca2+) at constant concentration. The results obtained in the first series of experiments are consistent with a sequential binding to two interacting Ca2+ binding sites. Calcium ions have very fast access to a site with low apparent affinity (Kd approximately 25 microM). Occupation of this site induces a slow conformational change which increased its apparent affinity and reveals a second site of high apparent affinity. At equilibrium the two sites are not equivalent in terms of rate of exchange. Two different rates were detected k fast greater than 0.2 s-1, k slow approximately 0.015 s-1 at -10 degrees C. Removal of Ca2+ from the fast exchanging site by addition of EGTA accelerates the rate of release of the slow exchanging one. A model is proposed with two interacting Ca2+-binding sites. A set of parameters has been obtained which produces correctly the Ca2+-binding curve and the fluorescence level at equilibrium as well as the rate constants of the calcium-induced fluorescence changes over a very wide range of Ca2+ concentrations (0.02 to 150 microM). The non-equivalence of the two classes of site and the meaning of the initial low-affinity binding are discussed.     

The interaction of magnesium ions with the calcium pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum.

1. In the presence of Ca2+, ATP phosphorylates the Ca2+ pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum at the same site and to the same extent regardless of whether Mg2+ is added or not to the incubation media, the main effect of added Mg2+ being to increase the rate of phosphorylation. 2. When phosphoenzyme is made in Mg2+-containing media it dephosphorylates about 30-times faster than when it is made in the absence of added Mg2+. Addition of Mg2+ after phosphorylation is uneffective in accelerating the hydrolysis of phosphoenzyme even in solubilized enzyme, suggesting that phosphorylation of the Ca2+ pump results in occlusion of the site at which Mg2+ combines to accelerate the release of phosphate. 3. Occlusion of the site for Mg2+ can be partially reversed by trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexonetetraacetic acid (CDTA). Use was made of this property to demonstrate that for the rapid release of phosphate to occur Mg2+ has to be bound to the enzyme. 4. Results seem to indicate that Mg2+ combines with the Ca2+ pump prior to phosphorylation.     

Rational design of peptide inhibitors of the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump

The sequence of phospholamban (PLB) is practically invariant among mammalian species. The hydrophobic transmembrane domain has 10 leucine and 8 isoleucine residues. Two roles have been proposed for the leucines; one subset stabilizes PLB oligomers, while a second subset physically interacts with SERCA. On the basis of the sequence of the PLB transmembrane domain, we chemically synthesized a series of peptides and tested their ability to regulate SERCA in reconstituted membranes. In all, eight peptides were studied: a peptide corresponding to the null-cysteine transmembrane domain of PLB (TM-Ala-PLB), two polyleucine peptides (Leu18 and Leu24), polyalanine peptides containing 4, 7, and 12 leucine residues (Leu4, Leu7, and Leu12, respectively), and a polyalanine peptide containing the 9 leucine residues present in the transmembrane domain of PLB with and without the essential Asn34 residue (Asn1Leu9 and Leu9, respectively). With the exception of Leu18, co-reconstitution of the peptides revealed effects on the apparent calcium affinity of SERCA. The TM-Ala-PLB peptide possessed approximately 70% of the inhibitory function of wild-type PLB. The remaining peptides exhibited significant inhibitory activity decreasing in the following order: Leu12, Leu9, Leu24, Leu7, and Leu4. Replacing Asn34 of PLB in the Leu9 peptide resulted in superinhibition of SERCA. On the basis of these observations, we conclude that a partial requirement for SERCA inhibition is met by a simple hydrophobic surface on a transmembrane alpha-helix. In addition, the superinhibition observed for the Asn34-containing peptide suggests that the model peptides mimic the inhibitory properties of PLB. A model is presented in which surface complementarity around key amino acid positions is enhanced in the interaction with SERCA.     

Reconstitution of an active calcium pump in sarcoplasmic reticulum.

Recovery of calcium transport and calcium-activated ATPase activity was studied in relation to the retention of protein components in sarcoplasmic reticulum reconstituted after solubilization with deoxycholate and centrifugation, followed by removal of the detergent from the supernatant by dialysis. Control sarcoplasmic reticulum was similarly treated except for omission of deoxycholate. Maximum capacity for oxalate- and phosphate-supported calcium uptake was increased 2- to 3-fold in reconstituted sarcoplasmic reticulum compared to original and control. Calcium uptake velocity of the reconstituted sarcoplasmic reticulum was approximately 80% that of original and 90% of control sarcoplasmic reticulum. Calcium uptake/ATP hydrolysis ratio was approximately 2 in the original sarcoplasmic reticulum and decreased to approximately 1 in the control and reconstituted sarcoplasmic reticulum. Calcium storage in the absence of calcium-precipitating anion was approximately 85% in control and 70% in reconstituted sarcoplasmic reticulum, compared to the original sarcoplasmic reticulum. Ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid-induced calcium release after phosphate-supported calcium uptake was slower in reconstituted sarcoplasmic reticulum than in original or control sarcoplasmic reticulum. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of original and control sarcoplasmic reticulum showed similar amounts of protein components of approximately 93,000, 59,000, 50,000, 30,000 to 37,000, and 20,000 to 26,000 daltons. Reconstituted sarcoplasmic reticulum, however, lost over 85% of the 50,000- and 20,000- to 26,000-dalton proteins while retaining most of its calcium transport functions.     

Role of phospholamban in regulating cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump

Cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum plays a critical role in the excitation-contraction cycle and hormonal regulation of heart cells. Catecholamines exert their ionotropic action through the regulation of calcium transport into the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Cyclic 3'-5'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) causes the cAMP-dependent protein kinase to phosphorylate the regulatory protein phospholamban, which results in the stimulation of calcium transport. Calmodulin also phosphorylates phospholamban by a calcium-dependent mechanism. We have reported the isolation and purification of phospholamban with low deoxycholate (DOC) concentrations (5 X 10(-6) M). We have also reported the isolation and purification of Ca2+ + Mg2+-ATPase with a similar procedure. Both phospholamban and Ca2+ + Mg2+-ATPase retained their native properties associated with sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. Further, we have shown that the removal of phospholamban from membranes of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles uncouples Ca2+-uptake from ATPase without any effect on Ca2+ + Mg2+-ATPase activity or Ca2+ efflux. Phospholamban appears to be the substrate for both the Ca2+-calmodulin system and the cAMP-dependent protein kinase system. It is found that the phosphorylation of phospholamban by the Ca2+-calmodulin system is required for the normal basal level of Ca2+ transport, and that the phosphorylation of phospholamban at another site by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase system causes the stimulation of Ca2+-transport above the basal level. The functional effects of the phosphorylation of phospholamban by cAMP-dependent protein kinase system are expressed only after the phosphorylation of phospholamban with Ca2+-calmodulin system. We propose a model for the cardiac Ca2+ + Mg2+-ATPase, whereby the enzyme is normally uncoupled from Ca2+ uptake. The enzyme becomes coupled to Ca2+ transport after the first site of phospholamban is phosphorylated with the Ca2+-calmodulin system. When the second site of phospholamban is phosphorylated with cAMP-dependent protein kinase both Ca2+ transport and ATPase are stimulated and phospholamban becomes inaccessible to DOC solubilization and trypsin.     

Capsaicin stimulates uncoupled ATP hydrolysis by the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump

In muscle cells the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) couples the free energy of ATP hydrolysis to pump Ca(2+) ions from the cytoplasm to the SR lumen. In addition, SERCA plays a key role in non-shivering thermogenesis through uncoupled reactions, where ATP hydrolysis takes place without active Ca(2+) translocation. Capsaicin (CPS) is a naturally occurring vanilloid, the consumption of which is linked with increased metabolic rate and core body temperature. Here we document the stimulation by CPS of the Ca(2+)-dependent ATP hydrolysis by SERCA without effects on Ca(2+) accumulation. The stimulation by CPS was significantly dependent on the presence of a Ca(2+) gradient across the SR membrane. ATP activation assays showed that the drug reduced the nucleotide affinity at the catalytic site, whereas the affinity at the regulatory site increased. Several biochemical analyses indicated that CPS stabilizes an ADP-insensitive E(2)P-related conformation that dephosphorylates at a higher rate than the control enzyme. Under conditions where uncoupled SERCA was specifically inhibited by the treatment with fluoride, low temperatures, or dimethyl sulfoxide, CPS had no stimulatory effect on ATP hydrolysis by SERCA. It is concluded that CPS stabilizes a SERCA sub-conformation where Ca(2+) is released from the phosphorylated intermediate to the cytoplasm instead of the SR lumen, increasing ATP hydrolysis not coupled with Ca(2+) transport. To the best of our knowledge CPS is the first natural drug that augments uncoupled SERCA, presumably resulting in thermogenesis. The role of CPS as a SERCA modulator is discussed.     

Regulation of ATP synthesis catalyzed by the calcium pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum

The role of pH, KCl, ATP, water activity, and temperature in ATP synthesis from ADP and Pi was investigated in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle. In totally aqueous medium, the synthesis of ATP was inhibited by ATP, KCl, and pH values above 6.5. When the water activity of the medium was decreased by the addition of 30% (v/v) dimethyl sulfoxide, the synthesis of ATP was no longer inhibited by ATP; it was activated by KCl and the optimum pH changed from 6.5 to 7.5. In totally aqueous medium, the concentration of MgCl2 needed for half-maximal synthesis of ATP was found to vary with the temperature of the assay medium; at 35 degrees C it was 1 mM and increased to a value higher than 10 mM when the temperature was decreased to 15 degrees C. In the presence of 30% dimethyl sulfoxide, maximal synthesis of ATP was attained in presence of 0.05 mM MgCl2 at both 15 and 35 degrees C. The hypothesis is raised that in the living cell water structure may play a role in regulating the synthesis of ATP observed during the reversal of the Ca2+ pump of the sarcoplasmic reticulum.     

Occlusion of divalent cations in the phosphorylated calcium pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum

The calcium pump of sarcoplasmic reticulum possesses high-affinity calcium-binding and ATP-binding sites. At 0 degrees C pH 6.8 and in the absence of calcium, about 3.5 nmol/mg of high-affinity ATP-binding sites are titrated with a dissociation constant, Kd, of 5 microM. In the presence of Ca2+, ATP phosphorylates the enzyme at a much lower concentration: K 1/2 = 100 nM. In the absence of ATP the calcium ions reversibly bind to the high-affinity calcium sites (6.5 nmol/mg); however the following is shown in this paper. 1. Phosphorylation of the enzyme in the presence of calcium leads to the immediate occlusion of the calcium ions bound to the high-affinity sites. 2. Two moles of calcium are occluded per mole of phosphoenzyme formed. 3. Occlusion can be reversed by ADP. 4. Transport is a slower process which occurs in the presence of Mg2+ at the same rate as the spontaneous decay of the phosphoenzyme. Experiments performed in the absence of magnesium reveal another divalent cation binding site which is probably directly involved in ATP and Pi binding. The nature of the cation bound to this site determines the stability and ADP-sensitivity of the phosphoenzyme.     

Mechanism of the stimulation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump by calmodulin

Calmodulin has been shown to stimulate the initial rates of Ca2+-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, when it is present in the reaction assay media for these activities. To determine whether the stimulatory effect of calmodulin is mediated directly through its interaction with the Ca2+-ATPase, or indirectly through phosphorylation of phospholamban by an endogenous protein kinase, two approaches were taken in the present study. In the first approach, the effects of calmodulin were studied on a Ca2+-ATPase preparation, isolated from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, which was essentially free of phospholamban. The enzyme was preincubated with various concentrations of calmodulin at 0 degrees C and 37 degrees C, but there was no effect on the Ca2+-ATPase activity assayed over a wide range of [Ca2+] (0.1-10 microM). In the second approach, cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were prephosphorylated by an endogenous protein kinase in the presence of calmodulin. Phosphorylation occurred predominantly on phospholamban, an oligomeric proteolipid. The sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were washed prior to assaying for Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+-ATPase activity in order to remove the added calmodulin. Phosphorylation of phospholamban enhanced the initial rates of Ca2+-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase, and this stimulation was associated with an increase in the affinity of the Ca2+-pump for calcium. The EC50 values for calcium activation of Ca2+-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase were 0.96 +/- 0.03 microM and 0.96 +/- 0.1 microM calcium by control vesicles, respectively. Phosphorylation decreased these values to 0.64 +/- 0.12 microM calcium for Ca2+-uptake and 0.62 +/- 0.11 microM calcium for Ca2+-ATPase. The stimulatory effect was associated with increases in the apparent initial rates of formation and decomposition of the phosphorylated intermediate of the Ca2+-ATPase. These findings suggest that calmodulin regulates cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum function by protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation of phospholamban.     

Phosphorylation and mutation of phospholamban alter physical interactions with the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump

Phospholamban physically interacts with the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (SERCA) and regulates contractility of the heart in response to adrenergic stimuli. We studied this interaction using electron microscopy of 2D crystals of SERCA in complex with phospholamban. In earlier studies, phospholamban oligomers were found interspersed between SERCA dimer ribbons and a 3D model was constructed to show interactions with SERCA. In this study, we examined the oligomeric state of phospholamban and the effects of phosphorylation and mutation of phospholamban on the interaction with SERCA in the 2D crystals. On the basis of projection maps from negatively stained and frozen-hydrated crystals, phosphorylation of Ser16 selectively disordered the cytoplasmic domain of wild type phospholamban. This was not the case for a pentameric gain-of-function mutant (Lys27Ala), which retained inhibitory activity and remained ordered in the phosphorylated state. A partial loss-of-function mutation that altered the charge state of phospholamban (Arg14Ala) retained an ordered state, while a complete loss-of-function mutation (Asn34Ala) was also disordered. The functional state of phospholamban was correlated with an order-to-disorder transition of the phospholamban cytoplasmic domain in the 2D co-crystals. Furthermore, co-crystals of the gain-of-function mutant (Lys27Ala) facilitated data collection from frozen-hydrated crystals. An improved projection map was calculated to a resolution of 8 Å, which supports the pentamer as the oligomeric state of phospholamban in the crystals. The 2D co-crystals with SERCA require a functional pentameric form of phospholamban, which physically interacts with SERCA at an accessory site distinct from that used by the phospholamban monomer for the inhibitory association.