Novel mechanism of regulation of protein 4.1G binding properties through Ca2+/calmodulin-mediated structural changes

Cell Biochem Biophys. 2013 Jul;66(3):545-58. doi: 10.1007/s12013-012-9502-7.

Abstract

Protein 4.1G (4.1G) is a widely expressed member of the protein 4.1 family of membrane skeletal proteins. We have previously reported that Ca(2+)-saturated calmodulin (Ca(2+)/CaM) modulates 4.1G interactions with transmembrane and membrane-associated proteins through binding to Four.one-ezrin-radixin-moesin (4.1G FERM) domain and N-terminal headpiece region (GHP). Here we identify a novel mechanism of Ca(2+)/CaM-mediated regulation of 4.1G interactions using a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy analyses. We document that GHP intrinsically disordered coiled structure switches to a stable compact structure upon binding of Ca(2+)/CaM. This dramatic conformational change of GHP inhibits in turn 4.1G FERM domain interactions due to steric hindrance. Based upon sequence homologies with the Ca(2+)/CaM-binding motif in protein 4.1R headpiece region, we establish that the 4.1G S(71)RGISRFIPPWLKKQKS peptide (pepG) mediates Ca(2+)/CaM binding. As observed for GHP, the random coiled structure of pepG changes to a relaxed globular shape upon complex formation with Ca(2+)/CaM. The resilient coiled structure of pepG, maintained even in the presence of trifluoroethanol, singles it out from any previously published CaM-binding peptide. Taken together, these results show that Ca(2+)/CaM binding to GHP, and more specifically to pepG, has profound effects on other functional domains of 4.1G.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Calcium / metabolism*
  • Calmodulin / metabolism*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / chemistry*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Membrane Proteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Proteins / metabolism*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Peptide Fragments / metabolism
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary

Substances

  • Calmodulin
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • erythrocyte membrane band 4.1 protein
  • Calcium