The inactivation domain of STIM1 is functionally coupled with the Orai1 pore to enable Ca2+-dependent inactivation
The inactivation domain of STIM1 (IDSTIM: amino acids 470–491) has been described as necessary for Ca2+-dependent inactivation (CDI) of Ca2+ release–activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channels, but its mechanism of action is unknown. Here we identify acidic residues within IDSTIM that control the extent of CDI and examine functional interactions of IDSTIM with Orai1 pore residues W76 and Y80. Alanine scanning revealed three IDSTIM residues (D476/D478/D479) that are critical for generating full CDI. Disabling IDSTIM by a triple alanine substitution for these three residues (“STIM1 3A”) or by truncation of the entire domain (STIM11–469) reduced CDI to the same residual level observed for the Orai1 pore mutant W76A (approximately one third of the extent seen with full-length STIM1). Results of noise analysis showed that STIM11–469 and Orai1 W76A mutants do not reduce channel open probability or unitary Ca2+ conductance, factors that determine local Ca2+ accumulation, suggesting that they diminish CDI instead by inhibiting the CDI gating mechanism. We tested for functional coupling between IDSTIM and the Orai1 pore by double-mutant cycle analysis. The effects on CDI of mutations disabling IDSTIM or W76 were not additive, demonstrating that IDSTIM and W76 are strongly coupled and act in concert to generate full-strength CDI. Interestingly, disabling IDSTIM and W76 separately gave opposite results in Orai1 Y80A channels: channels with W76 but lacking IDSTIM generated approximately two thirds of the WT extent of CDI but those with IDSTIM but lacking W76 completely failed to inactivate. Together, our results suggest that Y80 alone is sufficient to generate residual CDI, but acts as a barrier to full CDI. Although IDSTIM is not required as a Ca2+ sensor for CDI, it acts in concert with W76 to progress beyond the residual inactivated state and enable CRAC channels to reach the full extent of inactivation.