Intra- and Interdomain Effects Due to Mutation of Calcium-binding Sites in Calmodulin

The IQ-motif protein PEP-19, binds to the C-domain of calmodulin (CaM) with significantly different k(on) and k(off) rates in the presence and absence of Ca2+, which could play a role in defining the levels of free CaM during Ca2+ transients. The initial goal of the current study was to determine whether Ca2+ binding to sites III or IV in the C-domain of CaM was responsible for affecting the kinetics of binding PEP-19. EF-hand Ca2+ binding sites were selectively inactivated by the common strategy of changing Asp to Ala at the X-coordination position. Although Ca2+ binding to both sites III and IV appeared necessary for native-like interactions with PEP-19, the data also indicated that the mutations caused undesirable structural alterations as evidenced by significant changes in amide chemical shifts for apoCaM. Mutations in the C-domain also affected chemical shifts in the unmodified N-domain, and altered the Ca2+ binding properties of the N-domain. Conversion of Asp(93) to Ala caused the greatest structural perturbations, possibly due to the loss of stabilizing hydrogen bonds between the side chain of Asp(93) and backbone amides in apo loop III. Thus, although these mutations inhibit binding of Ca2+, the mutated CaM may not be able to support potentially important native-like activity of the apoprotein. This should be taken into account when designing CaM mutants for expression in cell culture.