L-Type Ca2+ Channel Regulation by Calmodulin and CaBP1

L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (CaV1.2 and CaV1.3, called CaV) interact with the Ca2+ sensor proteins, calmodulin (CaM) and Ca2+ binding Protein 1 (CaBP1), that oppositely control Ca2+-dependent channel activity. CaM and CaBP1 can each bind to the IQ-motif within the C-terminal cytosolic domain of CaV, which promotes increased channel open probability under basal conditions. At elevated cytosolic Ca2+ levels (caused by CaV channel opening), Ca2+-bound CaM binding to CaV is essential for promoting rapid Ca2+-dependent channel inactivation (CDI). By contrast, CaV binding to CaBP1 prevents CDI and promotes Ca2+-induced channel opening (called CDF). In this review, I provide an overview of the known structures of CaM and CaBP1 and their structural interactions with the IQ-motif to help understand how CaM promotes CDI, whereas CaBP1 prevents CDI and instead promotes CDF. Previous electrophysiology studies suggest that Ca2+-free forms of CaM and CaBP1 may pre-associate with CaV under basal conditions. However, previous Ca2+ binding data suggest that CaM and CaBP1 are both calculated to bind to Ca2+ with an apparent dissociation constant of ~100 nM when CaM or CaBP1 is bound to the IQ-motif. Since the neuronal basal cytosolic Ca2+ concentration is ~100 nM, nearly half of the neuronal CaV channels are suggested to be bound to Ca2+-bound forms of either CaM or CaBP1 under basal conditions. The pre-association of CaV with calcified forms of CaM or CaBP1 are predicted here to have functional implications. The Ca2+-bound form of CaBP1 is proposed to bind to CaV under basal conditions to block CaV binding to CaM, which could explain how CaBP1 might prevent CDI.

Calmodulin-Connexin Partnership in Gap Junction Channel Regulation-Calmodulin-Cork Gating Model

In the past four decades numerous findings have indicated that gap junction channel gating is mediated by intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+i]) in the high nanomolar range via calmodulin (CaM). We have proposed a CaM-based gating model based on evidence for a direct CaM role in gating. This model is based on the following: CaM inhibitors and the inhibition of CaM expression to prevent chemical gating. A CaM mutant with higher Ca2+ sensitivity greatly increases gating sensitivity. CaM co-localizes with connexins. Connexins have high-affinity CaM-binding sites. Connexin mutants paired to wild type connexins have a higher gating sensitivity, which is eliminated by the inhibition of CaM expression. Repeated trans-junctional voltage (Vj) pulses progressively close channels by the chemical/slow gate (CaM’s N-lobe). At the single channel level, the gate closes and opens slowly with on-off fluctuations. Internally perfused crayfish axons lose gating competency but recover it by the addition of Ca-CaM to the internal perfusion solution. X-ray diffraction data demonstrate that isolated gap junctions are gated at the cytoplasmic end by a particle of the size of a CaM lobe. We have proposed two types of CaM-driven gating: “Ca-CaM-Cork” and “CaM-Cork”. In the first, the gating involves Ca2+-induced CaM activation. In the second, the gating occurs without a [Ca2+]i rise.

RyR1-related myopathy mutations in ATP and calcium binding sites impair channel regulation

The type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1) is an intracellular calcium (Ca2+) release channel on the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum that is required for skeletal muscle contraction. RyR1 channel activity is modulated by ligands, including the activators Ca2+ and ATP. Patients with inherited mutations in RyR1 may exhibit muscle weakness as part of a heterogeneous, complex disorder known as RYR1-related myopathy (RYR1-RM) or more recently termed RYR1-related disorders (RYR1-RD). Guided by high-resolution structures of skeletal muscle RyR1, obtained using cryogenic electron microscopy, we introduced mutations into putative Ca2+ and ATP binding sites and studied the function of the resulting mutant channels. These mutations confirmed the functional significance of the Ca2+ and ATP binding sites identified by structural studies based on the effects on channel regulation. Under normal conditions, Ca2+ activates RyR1 at low concentrations (µM) and inhibits it at high concentrations (mM). Mutations in the Ca2+-binding site impaired both activating and inhibitory regulation of the channel, suggesting a single site for both high and low affinity Ca2+-dependent regulation of RyR1 function. Mutation of residues that interact with the adenine ring of ATP abrogated ATP binding to the channel, whereas mutating residues that interact with the triphosphate tail only affected the degree of activation. In addition, patients with mutations at the Ca2+ or ATP binding sites suffer from muscle weakness, therefore impaired RyR1 channel regulation by either Ca2+ or ATP may contribute to the pathophysiology of RYR1-RM in some patients.

The analysis on the human protein domain targets and host-like interacting motifs for the MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV/CoV-2 infers the molecular mimicry of coronavirus

The MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 are highly pathogenic viruses that can cause severe pneumonic diseases in humans. Unfortunately, there is a non-available effective treatment to combat these viruses. Domain-motif interactions (DMIs) are an essential means by which viruses mimic and hijack the biological processes of host cells. To disentangle how viruses achieve this process can help to develop new rational therapies. Data mining was performed to obtain DMIs stored as regular expressions (regexp) in 3DID and ELM databases. The mined regexp information was mapped on the coronaviruses’ proteomes. Most motifs on viral protein that could interact with human proteins are shared across the coronavirus species, indicating that molecular mimicry is a common strategy for coronavirus infection. Enrichment ontology analysis for protein domains showed a shared biological process and molecular function terms related to carbon source utilization and potassium channel regulation. Some of the mapped motifs were nested on B, and T cell epitopes, suggesting that it could be as an alternative way for reverse vaccinology. The information obtained in this study could be used for further theoretic and experimental explorations on coronavirus infection mechanism and development of medicines for treatment.