Intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fused autofluorescent proteins reveals rearrangements of the N- and C-terminal segments of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump involved in the activation

The blue and green fluorescent proteins (BFP and GFP) have been fused at the N- and C-terminal ends, respectively, of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump (PMCA) isoform 4xb (hPMCA4xb). The fusion protein was successfully expressed in yeast and purified by calmodulin affinity chromatography. Despite the presence of the fused autofluorescent proteins BFP-PMCA-GFP performed similarly to the wild-type enzyme with respect to Ca2+-ATPase activity and sensitivity to calmodulin activation. In the autoinhibited state BFP-PMCA-GFP exhibited a significant intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) consistent with the location of the fluorophores at an average distance of 45 angstrom. The FRET intensity in BFP-PMCA-GFP decreased when the enzyme was activated either by Ca2+-calmodulin, partial proteolysis, or acidic lipids. Moreover, FRET decreased and became insensitive to calmodulin when hPMCA4xb was activated by mutation D170N in BFP-PMCA(D170N)-GFP. The results suggest that the ends of the PMCA are in close proximity in the autoinhibited conformation, and they separate or reorient when the PMCA achieves its final activated conformation.