Effects of phosphorylation and mutation R145G on human cardiac troponin I function.

We have studied functional consequences of the mutations R145G, S22A, and S23A of human cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and of phosphorylation of two adjacent N-terminal serine residues in the wild-type cTnI and the mutated proteins. The mutation R145G has been linked to the development of familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Cardiac troponin was reconstituted from recombinant human subunits including either wild-type or mutant cTnI and was used for reconstitution of thin filaments with skeletal muscle actin and tropomyosin. The Ca(2+)-dependent thin filament-activated myosin subfragment 1 ATPase (actoS1-ATPase) activity and the in vitro motility of these filaments driven by myosin were measured as a function of the cTnI phosphorylation state. Bisphosphorylation of wild-type cTnI decreases the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the actoS1-ATPase activity and the in vitro thin filament motility by about 0.15-0.21 pCa unit. The nonconservative replacement R145G in cTnI enhances the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the actoS1-ATPase activity by about 0.6 pCa unit independent of the phosphorylation state of cTnI. Furthermore, it mimics a strong suppressing effect on both the maximum actoS1-ATPase activity and the maximum in vitro filament sliding velocity which has been observed upon bisphosphorylation of wild-type cTnI. Bisphosphorylation of the mutant cTnI-R145G itself had no such suppressing effects anymore. Differential analysis of the effect of phosphorylation of each of the two serines, Ser23 in cTnI-S22A and Ser22 in cTnI-S23A, indicates that phosphorylation of Ser23 may already be sufficient for causing the reduction of maximum actoS1-ATPase activity and thin filament sliding velocity seen upon phosphorylation of both of these serines.     

Functional consequences of the human cardiac troponin I hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutation R145G in transgenic mice

In this study, we addressed the functional consequences of the human cardiac troponin I (hcTnI) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy R145G mutation in transgenic mice. Simultaneous measurements of ATPase activity and force in skinned papillary fibers from hcTnI R145G transgenic mice (Tg-R145G) versus hcTnI wild type transgenic mice (Tg-WT) showed a significant decrease in the maximal Ca(2+)-activated force without changes in the maximal ATPase activity and an increase in the Ca(2+) sensitivity of both ATPase and force development. No difference in the cross-bridge turnover rate was observed at the same level of cross-bridge attachment (activation state), showing that changes in Ca(2+) sensitivity were not due to changes in cross-bridge kinetics. Energy cost calculations demonstrated higher energy consumption in Tg-R145G fibers compared with Tg-WT fibers. The addition of 3 mm 2,3-butanedione monoxime at pCa 9.0 showed that there was approximately 2-4% of force generating cross-bridges attached in Tg-R145G fibers compared with less than 1.0% in Tg-WT fibers, suggesting that the mutation impairs the ability of the cardiac troponin complex to fully inhibit cross-bridge attachment under relaxing conditions. Prolonged force and intracellular [Ca(2+)] transients in electrically stimulated intact papillary muscles were observed in Tg-R145G compared with Tg-WT. These results suggest that the phenotype of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is most likely caused by the compensatory mechanisms in the cardiovascular system that are activated by 1) higher energy cost in the heart resulting from a significant decrease in average force per cross-bridge, 2) slowed relaxation (diastolic dysfunction) caused by prolonged [Ca(2+)] and force transients, and 3) an inability of the cardiac TnI to completely inhibit activation in the absence of Ca(2+) in Tg-R145G mice.     

Effects of T142 phosphorylation and mutation R145G on the interaction of the inhibitory region of human cardiac troponin I with the C-domain of human cardiac troponin C

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is the inhibitory component of the troponin complex, and its interaction with cardiac troponin C (cTnC) plays a critical role in transmitting the Ca(2+) signal to the other myofilament proteins in heart muscle contraction. The switch between contraction and relaxation involves a movement of the inhibitory region of cTnI (cIp) from cTnC to actin-tropomyosin. This region of cTnI is prone to missense mutations in heart disease, and a specific mutation, R145G, has been associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It also contains the unique cardiac PKC phosphorylation site at residue T142. To determine the structural consequences of the mutation R145G and the T142 phosphorylation on the interaction of cIp with cTnC, we have utilized 2D [(1)H, (15)N]-HSQC NMR spectroscopy to monitor the binding of native cIp, cIp-R (R145G), and cIp-P (phosphorylated T142), respectively, to the Ca(2+)-saturated C-domain of cTnC (cCTnC.2Ca(2+)). We also report a strategy for cloning, expression, and purification of cTnI peptide, and both synthetic and recombinant peptides are used in this study. NMR chemical shift mapping indicates that the binding epitope of cIp on cCTnC.2Ca(2+) is not greatly affected, but the affinity is reduced by approximately 14-fold by the T142 phosphorylation and approximately 4-fold by the mutation R145G, respectively. This suggests that these modifications of cIp have an adverse effect on the binding of cIp to cCTnC.2Ca(2+). These perturbations may correlate with the impairment or loss of cTnI function in heart muscle contraction.     

Effect of substitution of troponin C in cardiac myofibrils with skeletal troponin C or calmodulin on the Ca2+- and Sr2+-sensitive ATPase activity

Troponin C was removed almost completely from the porcine cardiac myofibrils by the same extraction procedure using CDTA as that previously reported for the rabbit skeletal myofibrils (Morimoto, S. & Ohtsuki, I. (1987) J. Biochem. 101, 291-301), and the effects of substitution of troponin C in cardiac myofibrils with rabbit skeletal troponin C or bovine brain calmodulin were examined. While the ATPase activity of intact cardiac myofibrils or cardiac troponin C-reconstituted cardiac myofibrils was activated at only a little higher concentration of Sr2+ than Ca2+, the skeletal troponin C-substituted cardiac myofibrils, as well as intact rabbit skeletal myofibrils, required more than 10 times higher concentration of Sr2+ than Ca2+ for activation of the myofibrillar ATPase activity. However, the concentrations of Ca2+ and Sr2+ required for the activation of the ATPase activity of the skeletal troponin C-substituted cardiac myofibrils were both about 5 times higher than those of intact skeletal myofibrils. The skeletal troponin C-substituted cardiac myofibrils, as well as intact skeletal myofibrils, also showed higher cooperativity in the Ca2+-activation of the ATPase activity than intact or cardiac troponin C-reconstituted cardiac myofibrils. The ATPase activity of calmodulin-substituted cardiac myofibrils was activated at a several times lower concentration of Ca2+ or Sr2+ than that of calmodulin-substituted skeletal myofibrils, while the ratios of the concentration of Sr2+ to Ca2+ required for activation were almost the same in both cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Phosphorylated cardiac myofibrils and their effect on ATPase activity.

Control guinea pig cardiac myofibrils were isolated in the presence of Triton X-100. Experimental myofibrils, prepared in the presence of Triton X-100, NaF, cyclic AMP and ATP, possessed a reduced myofibrillar ATPase activity. When myofibrils isolated under control conditions were incubated for two hours at 25°C with NaF, ATP and cyclic AMP, the ATPase activity was also decreased; however, the ATPase activity was not reduced as much as that of myofibrils isolated under experimental conditions. Incubation of myofibrils with $\text{E. coli}$ aklaline phosphatase and guinea pig heart phosphoprotein phosphatase resulted in an increase in ATPase activity and a decrease in phosphoprotein phosphate. Thus there appeared to be an inverse relationship between myofibrillar ATPase activity and phosphoprotein phosphate content. The results indicated that a protein kinase is associated with the Triton X-100 purified myofibrils and supports the notion that intact myofibrils can exist in at least two catalytic forms.     

Phosphorylation and mutation of human cardiac troponin I deferentially destabilize the interaction of the functional regions of troponin I with troponin C

We have utilized 2D [(1)H,(15)N]HSQC NMR spectroscopy to elucidate the binding of three segments of cTnI in native, phosphorylated, and mutated states to cTnC. The near N-terminal region (cRp; residues 34-71) contains the protein kinase C (PKC) phosphorylation sites S41 and S43, the inhibitory region (cIp; residues 128-147) contains another PKC site T142 and a familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC) mutation R144G, and the switch region (cSp; residues 147-163) contains the novel p21-activated kinase (PAK) site S149 and another FHC mutation R161W. While S41/S43 phosphorylation of cRp had minimal disruption in the interaction of cRp and cTnC.3Ca(2+), T142 phosphorylation reduced the affinity of cIp for cCTnC.2Ca(2+) by approximately 14-fold and S149 phosphorylation reduced the affinity of cSp for cNTnC.Ca(2+) by approximately 10-fold. The mutation R144G caused an approximately 6-fold affinity decrease of cIp for cCTnC.2Ca(2+) and mutation R161W destabilized the interaction of cSp and cNTnC.Ca(2+) by approximately 1.4-fold. When cIp was both T142 phosphorylated and R144G mutated, its affinity for cCTnC.2Ca(2+) was reduced approximately 19-fold, and when cSp was both S149 phosphorylated and R161W mutated, its affinity for cNTnC.Ca(2+) was reduced approximately 4-fold. Thus, while the FHC mutation R144G enhances the effect of T142 phosphorylation on the interaction of cIp and cCTnC.2Ca(2+), the FHC mutation R161W suppresses the effect of S149 phosphorylation on the interaction of cSp and cNTnC.Ca(2+), demonstrating linkages between the FHC mutation and phosphorylation of cTnI. The observed alterations corroborate well with structural data. These results suggest that while the modifications in the cRp region have minimal influence, those in the key functional cIp-cSp region have a pronounced effect on the interaction of cTnI and cTnC, which may correlate with the altered myofilament function and cardiac muscle contraction under pathophysiological conditions.     

Functional consequences of a carboxyl terminal missense mutation Arg278Cys in human cardiac troponin T.

A carboxyl terminal missense mutant Arg278Cys of human cardiac troponin T that causes familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and exchanged into rabbit cardiac skinned muscle fibers using a troponin exchange technique. Compared to the fibers exchanged with human cardiac wild-type troponin T, the fibers exchanged with the mutant Arg278Cys developed less maximum force with a decreased cooperativity and a slightly increased Ca(2+) sensitivity, resulting in a significant elevation of sub-half-maximal force. Since intact cardiac muscle is thought to never be activated beyond the half-maximum level, the results suggest that an enhanced myofilament response to Ca(2+) may be responsible for the pathogenesis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with this mutation. The results also provide the first evidence that the carboxyl terminal region of cardiac troponin T plays an important role probably through its interaction with tropomyosin in allowing troponin complex to inhibit the muscle contraction at low Ca(2+), in agreement with the hypothesis deduced from the previous studies on fast skeletal troponin T.     

Heterogeneity in human cardiac troponin I standards

The LC-MS analysis of recombinant cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and cTnI extracted from human hearts showed a high degree of structural heterogeneity among all samples. The examined recombinant cTnI samples indicated posttranslational modifications, presumably due to their purification (i.e., 2-mercaptoethanol adducts and carbamylation) and related to their expression (i.e., an N-terminal expression tag). The extracted cTnI samples, while having a higher degree of structural heterogeneity, showed less structural variance between samples than the recombinant proteins. The LC-MS analysis of the extracted cTnI samples provided evidence of posttranslational modification by phosphorylation, acetylation, proteolytic cleavage, and intrachain disulfide bond formation.     

稳定表达乙型肝炎病毒G145R变异表面抗原细胞系的建立

构建可以在真核细胞表达G145R HBsAg的重组质粒PCI-HBs145.用此质粒转染Hela细胞,经克隆化培养以及G418筛选,建立稳定表达G145R HBsAg的细胞系.ELISA检测表明表达G145R HBsAg与野生型HBsAg在免疫反应性上有较大的差异.生物学性状研究结果表明稳定表达G145R HBsAg的2A8细胞纯度好,遗传性状稳定.     

Mutations in human cardiac troponin I that are associated with restrictive cardiomyopathy affect basal ATPase activity and the calcium sensitivity of force development

Human cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) is the first sarcomeric protein for which mutations have been associated with restrictive cardiomyopathy. To determine whether five mutations in cTnI (L144Q, R145W, A171T, K178E, and R192H) associated with restrictive cardiomyopathy were distinguishable from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy-causing mutations in cTnI, actomyosin ATPase activity and skinned fiber studies were carried out. All five mutations investigated showed an increase in the Ca2+ sensitivity of force development compared with wild-type cTnI. The two mutations with the worst clinical phenotype (K178E and R192H) both showed large increases in Ca2+ sensitivity (deltapCa50 = 0.47 and 0.36, respectively). Although at least one of these mutations is not in the known inhibitory regions of cTnI, all of the mutations investigated caused a decrease in the ability of cTnI to inhibit actomyosin ATPase activity. Mixtures of wild-type and mutant cTnI showed that cTnI mutants could be classified into three different groups: dominant (L144Q, A171T and R192H), equivalent (K178E), or weaker (R145W) than wild-type cTnI in actomyosin ATPase assays in the absence of Ca2+. Although most of the mutants were able to activate actomyosin ATPase similarly to wild-type cTnI, L144Q had significantly lower maximal ATPase activities than any of the other mutants or wild-type cTnI. Three mutants (L144Q, R145W, and K178E) were unable to fully relax contraction in the absence of Ca2+. The inability of the five cTnI mutations investigated to fully inhibit ATPase activity/force development and the generally larger increases in Ca2+ sensitivity than observed for most hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations would likely lead to severe diastolic dysfunction and may be the major physiological factors responsible for causing the restrictive cardiomyopathy phenotype in some of the genetically affected individuals.     

The Delta 14 mutation of human cardiac troponin T enhances ATPase activity and alters the cooperative binding of S1-ADP to regulated actin

The complex of tropomyosin and troponin binds to actin and inhibits activation of myosin ATPase activity and force production of striated muscles at low free Ca(2+) concentrations. Ca(2+) stimulates ATP activity, and at subsaturating actin concentrations, the binding of NEM-modified S1 to actin-tropomyosin-troponin increases the rate of ATP hydrolysis even further. We show here that the Delta14 mutation of troponin T, associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, results in an increase in ATPase rate like that seen with wild-type troponin in the presence of NEM-S1. The enhanced ATPase activity was not due to a decreased incorporation of mutant troponin T with troponin I and troponin C to form an active troponin complex. The activating effect was more prominent with a hybrid troponin (skeletal TnI, TnC, and cardiac TnT) than with all cardiac troponin. Thus it appears that changes in the troponin-troponin contacts that result from mutations or from forming hybrids stabilize a more active state of regulated actin. An analysis of the effect of the Delta14 mutation on the equilibrium binding of S1-ADP to actin was consistent with stabilization of an active state of actin. This change in activation may be important in the development of cardiac disease.     

Modulation of cardiac troponin C-cardiac troponin I regulatory interactions by the amino-terminus of cardiac troponin I

Multidimensional heteronuclear magnetic resonance studies of the cardiac troponin C/troponin I(1-80)/troponin I(129-166) complex demonstrated that cardiac troponin I(129-166), corresponding to the adjacent inhibitory and regulatory regions, interacts with and induces an opening of the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain. Chemical shift perturbation mapping and (15)N transverse relaxation rates for intact cardiac troponin C bound to either cardiac troponin I(1-80)/troponin I(129-166) or troponin I(1-167) suggested that troponin I residues 81-128 do not interact strongly with troponin C but likely serve to modulate the interaction of troponin I(129-166) with the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain. Chemical shift perturbations due to troponin I(129-166) binding the cardiac troponin C/troponin I(1-80) complex correlate with partial opening of the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain previously demonstrated by distance measurements using fluorescence methodologies. Fluorescence emission from cardiac troponin C(F20W/N51C)(AEDANS) complexed to cardiac troponin I(1-80) was used to monitor binding of cardiac troponin I(129-166) to the regulatory domain of cardiac troponin C. The apparent K(d) for cardiac troponin I(129-166) binding to cardiac troponin C/troponin I(1-80) was 43.3 +/- 3.2 microM. After bisphosphorylation of cardiac troponin I(1-80) the apparent K(d) increased to 59.1 +/- 1.3 microM. Thus, phosphorylation of the cardiac-specific N-terminus of troponin I reduces the apparent binding affinity of the regulatory domain of cardiac troponin C for cardiac troponin I(129-166) and provides further evidence for beta-adrenergic modulation of troponin Ca(2+) sensitivity through a direct interaction between the cardiac-specific amino-terminus of troponin I and the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain.     

Expression and purification of human cardiac troponin subunits and their functional incorporation into isolated cardiac mouse myofibrils

The three subunits of the human cardiac troponin complex (hcTnC, hcTnI, hcTnT) were overexpressed in E. coli, purified and reconstituted to form the hcTn complex. This complex was then incorporated into subcellular bundles of mouse cardiac myofibrils whereby the native mcTn complex was replaced. On thus exchanged myofibrils, isometric force kinetics following sudden changes in free Ca(2+) concentration were measured using atomic force cantilevers. Following the exchange, the myofibrillar force remained fully Ca(2+) regulated, i.e. myofibrils were completely relaxed at pCa 7.5 and developed the same maximum Ca(2+)-activated isometric force upon increasing the pCa to 4.5 as unexchanged myofibrils. The replacement of endogenous mcTn by wild-type hcTn neither altered the kinetics of Ca(2+)-induced force development of the mouse myofibrils nor the kinetics of force relaxation induced by the sudden, complete removal of Ca(2+). Preparations of functional Tn reconstituted myofibrils provide a promising model to study the role of Tn in kinetic mechanisms of cardiac myofibrillar contraction and relaxation.     

Single mutation (A162H) in human cardiac troponin I corrects acid pH sensitivity of Ca2+-regulated actomyosin S1 ATPase

In contrast to skeletal muscle, the efficiency of the contractile apparatus of cardiac tissue has long been known to be severely compromised by acid pH as in the ischemia of myocardial infarction and other cardiac myopathies. Recent reports (Westfall, M. V., and Metzger, J. M. (2001) News Physiol. Sci. 16, 278-281; Li, G., Martin, A. F., and Solaro, R. J. (2001) J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 33, 1309-1320) have indicated that the reduced Ca(2+) sensitivity of cardiac contractility at low pH (相似文献   

Structure and dynamics of the C-domain of human cardiac troponin C in complex with the inhibitory region of human cardiac troponin I

Cardiac troponin C is the Ca2+-dependent switch for heart muscle contraction. Troponin C is associated with various other proteins including troponin I and troponin T. The interaction between the subunits within the troponin complex is of critical importance in understanding contractility. Following a Ca2+ signal to begin contraction, the inhibitory region of troponin I comprising residues Thr128-Arg147 relocates from its binding surface on actin to troponin C, triggering movement of troponin-tropomyosin within the thin filament and thereby freeing actin-binding site(s) for interactions with the myosin ATPase of the thick filament to generate the power stroke. The structure of calcium-saturated cardiac troponin C (C-domain) in complex with the inhibitory region of troponin I was determined using multinuclear and multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structure of this complex reveals that the inhibitory region adopts a helical conformation spanning residues Leu134-Lys139, with a novel orientation between the E- and H-helices of troponin C, which is largely stabilized by electrostatic interactions. By using isotope labeling, we have studied the dynamics of the protein and peptide in the binary complex. The structure of this inhibited complex provides a framework for understanding into interactions within the troponin complex upon heart contraction.     

Functional consequences of the deletion mutation deltaGlu160 in human cardiac troponin T

To explore the functional consequences of a deletion mutation of troponin T (DeltaGlu160) found in familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the mutant human cardiac troponin T, and wild-type troponins T, I, and C were expressed in Escherichia coli and directly incorporated into isolated porcine cardiac myofibrils using our previously reported troponin exchange technique. The mutant troponin T showed a slightly reduced potency in replacing the endogenous troponin complex in myofibrils and did not affect the inhibitory action of troponin I but potentiated the neutralizing action of troponin C, suggesting that the deletion of a single amino acid, Glu-160, in the strong tropomyosin-binding region affects the tropomyosin binding affinity of the entire troponin T molecule and alters the interaction between troponin I and troponin C within ternary troponin complex in the thin filament. This mutation also increased the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the myofibrillar ATPase activity, as in the case of other mutations in troponin T with clinical phenotypes of poor prognosis similar to that of Glu160. These results provide strong evidence that the increased Ca(2+) sensitivity of cardiac myofilament is a typical functional consequence of the troponin T mutation associated with a malignant form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.     

The dilated cardiomyopathy G159D mutation in cardiac troponin C weakens the anchoring interaction with troponin I

NMR spectroscopy has been employed to elucidate the molecular consequences of the DCM G159D mutation on the structure and dynamics of troponin C, and its interaction with troponin I (TnI). Since the molecular effects of human mutations are often subtle, all NMR experiments were conducted as direct side-by-side comparisons of the wild-type C-domain of troponin C (cCTnC) and the mutant protein, G159D. With the mutation, the affinity toward the anchoring region of cTnI (cTnI 34-71) was reduced ( K D = 3.0 +/- 0.6 microM) compared to that of the wild type ( K D < 1 microM). Overall, the structure and dynamics of the G159D.cTnI 34-71 complex were very similar to those of the cCTnC.cTnI 34-71 complex. There were, however, significant changes in the (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N NMR chemical shifts, especially for the residues in direct contact with cTnI 34-71, and the changes in NOE connectivity patterns between the G159D.cTnI 34-71 and cCTnC.cTnI 34-71 complexes. Thus, the most parsimonious hypothesis is that the development of disease results from the poor anchoring of cTnI to cCTnC, with the resulting increase in the level of acto-myosin inhibition in agreement with physiological data. Another possibility is that long-range electrostatic interactions affect the binding of the inhibitory and switch regions of cTnI (cTnI 128-147 and cTnI 147-163) and/or the cardiac specific N-terminus of cTnI (cTnI 1-29) to the N-domain of cTnC. These important interactions are all spatially close in the X-ray structure of the cardiac TnC core.     

Structure of the regulatory N-domain of human cardiac troponin C in complex with human cardiac troponin I147-163 and bepridil

Cardiac troponin C (cTnC) is the Ca(2+)-dependent switch for contraction in heart muscle and a potential target for drugs in the therapy of heart failure. Ca(2+) binding to the regulatory domain of cTnC (cNTnC) induces little structural change but sets the stage for cTnI binding. A large "closed" to "open" conformational transition occurs in the regulatory domain upon binding cTnI(147-163) or bepridil. This raises the question of whether cTnI(147-163) and bepridil compete for cNTnC.Ca(2+). In this work, we used two-dimensional (1)H,(15)N-heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR spectroscopy to examine the binding of bepridil to cNTnC.Ca(2+) in the absence and presence of cTnI(147-163) and of cTnI(147-163) to cNTnC.Ca(2+) in the absence and presence of bepridil. The results show that bepridil and cTnI(147-163) bind cNTnC.Ca(2+) simultaneously but with negative cooperativity. The affinity of cTnI(147-163) for cNTnC.Ca(2+) is reduced approximately 3.5-fold by bepridil and vice versa. Using multinuclear and multidimensional NMR spectroscopy, we have determined the structure of the cNTnC.Ca(2+).cTnI(147-163).bepridil ternary complex. The structure reveals a binding site for cTnI(147-163) primarily located on the A/B interhelical interface and a binding site for bepridil in the hydrophobic pocket of cNTnC.Ca(2+). In the structure, the N terminus of the peptide clashes with part of the bepridil molecule, which explains the negative cooperativity between cTnI(147-163) and bepridil for cNTnC.Ca(2+). This structure provides insights into the features that are important for the design of cTnC-specific cardiotonic drugs, which may be used to modulate the Ca(2+) sensitivity of the myofilaments in heart muscle contraction.     

Phosphorylation-dependent conformational transition of the cardiac specific N-extension of troponin I in cardiac troponin

We present here the solution structure for the bisphosphorylated form of the cardiac N-extension of troponin I (cTnI(1-32)), a region for which there are no previous high-resolution data. Using this structure, the X-ray crystal structure of the cardiac troponin core, and uniform density models of the troponin components derived from neutron contrast variation data, we built atomic models for troponin that show the conformational transition in cardiac troponin induced by bisphosphorylation. In the absence of phosphorylation, our NMR data and sequence analyses indicate a less structured cardiac N-extension with a propensity for a helical region surrounding the phosphorylation motif, followed by a helical C-terminal region (residues 25-30). In this conformation, TnI(1-32) interacts with the N-lobe of cardiac troponin C (cTnC) and thus is positioned to modulate myofilament Ca2+-sensitivity. Bisphosphorylation at Ser23/24 extends the C-terminal helix (residues 21-30) which results in weakening interactions with the N-lobe of cTnC and a re-positioning of the acidic amino terminus of cTnI(1-32) for favorable interactions with basic regions, likely the inhibitory region of cTnI. An extended poly(L-proline)II helix between residues 11 and 19 serves as the rigid linker that aids in re-positioning the amino terminus of cTnI(1-32) upon bisphosphorylation at Ser23/24. We propose that it is these electrostatic interactions between the acidic amino terminus of cTnI(1-32) and the basic inhibitory region of troponin I that induces a bending of cTnI at the end that interacts with cTnC. This model provides a molecular mechanism for the observed changes in cross-bridge kinetics upon TnI phosphorylation.     

Additional PKA phosphorylation sites in human cardiac troponin I.

We used mass spectrometry to monitor cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalysed phosphorylation of human cardiac troponin I in vitro. Phosphorylation of isolated troponin I by cAMP-dependent protein kinase resulted in the covalent incorporation of phosphate on at least five different sites on troponin I, and a S22/23A troponin I mutant incorporated phosphates on at least three sites. In addition to the established phosphorylation sites (S22 and S23) we found that S38 and S165 were the other two main sites of phosphorylation. These 'overphosphorylation' sites were not phosphorylated sufficiently slower than S22 and S23 that we could isolate pure S22/23 bisphosphorylated troponin I. Overphosphorylation of troponin I reduced its affinity for troponin C, as measured by isothermal titration microcalorimetry. Phosphorylation of S22/23A also decreased its affinity for troponin C indicating that phosphorylation of S38 and/or S165 impedes binding of troponin I to troponin C. Formation of a troponin I/troponin C complex prior to cAMP-dependent protein kinase treatment did not prevent overphosphorylation. When whole troponin was phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase, however, [(32)P]phosphate was incorporated only into troponin I and only at S22 and S23. Mass spectrometry confirmed that overphosphorylation is abolished in the ternary complex. Troponin I bisphosphorylated exclusively at S22 and S23 troponin I showed reduced affinity for troponin C but the effect was diminished with respect to overphosphorylated troponin I. These results show that care should be exercised when interpreting data obtained with troponin I phosphorylated in vitro.