Structural highlights
Publication Abstract from PubMed
Calcium ions (Ca(2+)) have an important role as secondary messengers in numerous signal transduction processes, and cells invest much energy in controlling and maintaining a steep gradient between intracellular ( approximately 0.1-micromolar) and extracellular ( approximately 2-millimolar) Ca(2+) concentrations. Calmodulin-stimulated calcium pumps, which include the plasma-membrane Ca(2+)-ATPases (PMCAs), are key regulators of intracellular Ca(2+) in eukaryotes. They contain a unique amino- or carboxy-terminal regulatory domain responsible for autoinhibition, and binding of calcium-loaded calmodulin to this domain releases autoinhibition and activates the pump. However, the structural basis for the activation mechanism is unknown and a key remaining question is how calmodulin-mediated PMCA regulation can cover both basal Ca(2+) levels in the nanomolar range as well as micromolar-range Ca(2+) transients generated by cell stimulation. Here we present an integrated study combining the determination of the high-resolution crystal structure of a PMCA regulatory-domain/calmodulin complex with in vivo characterization and biochemical, biophysical and bioinformatics data that provide mechanistic insights into a two-step PMCA activation mechanism mediated by calcium-loaded calmodulin. The structure shows the entire PMCA regulatory domain and reveals an unexpected 2:1 stoichiometry with two calcium-loaded calmodulin molecules binding to different sites on a long helix. A multifaceted characterization of the role of both sites leads to a general structural model for calmodulin-mediated regulation of PMCAs that allows stringent, highly responsive control of intracellular calcium in eukaryotes, making it possible to maintain a stable, basal level at a threshold Ca(2+) concentration, where steep activation occurs.
A bimodular mechanism of calcium control in eukaryotes.,Tidow H, Poulsen LR, Andreeva A, Knudsen M, Hein KL, Wiuf C, Palmgren MG, Nissen P Nature. 2012 Oct 21. doi: 10.1038/nature11539. PMID:23086147[1]
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
References
- ↑ Tidow H, Poulsen LR, Andreeva A, Knudsen M, Hein KL, Wiuf C, Palmgren MG, Nissen P. A bimodular mechanism of calcium control in eukaryotes. Nature. 2012 Oct 21. doi: 10.1038/nature11539. PMID:23086147 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature11539
