Calpastatin domain L is a partial agonist of the calmodulin-binding site for channel activation in Cav1.2 Ca2+ channels.

Cav1.2 Ca(2+) channel activity diminishes in inside-out patches (run-down). Previously, we have found that with ATP, calpastatin domain L (CSL) and calmodulin (CaM) recover channel activity from the run-down in guinea pig cardiac myocytes. Because the potency of the CSL repriming effect was smaller than that of CaM, we hypothesized that CSL might act as a partial agonist of CaM in the channel-repriming effect. To examine this hypothesis, we investigated the effect of the competitions between CSL and CaM on channel activity and on binding in the channel. We found that CSL suppressed the channel-activating effect of CaM in a reversible and concentration-dependent manner. The channel-inactivating effect of CaM seen at high concentrations of CaM, however, did not seem to be affected by CSL. In the GST pull-down assay, CSL suppressed binding of CaM to GST fusion peptides derived from C-terminal regions in a competitive manner. The inhibition of CaM binding by CSL was observed with the IQ peptide but not the PreIQ peptide, which is the CaM-binding domain in the C terminus. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that CSL competes with CaM as a partial agonist for the site in the IQ domain in the C-terminal region of the Cav1.2 channel, which may be involved in activation of the channel.

Interactions of calmodulin with the multiple binding sites of Cav1.2 Ca2+ channels.

Although calmodulin binding to various sites of the Cav1.2 Ca(2+) channel has been reported, the mechanism of the interaction is not fully understood. In this study we examined calmodulin binding to fragment channel peptides using a semi-quantitative pull-down assay. Calmodulin bound to the peptides with decreasing affinity order: IQ > preIQ > I-II loop > N-terminal peptide. A peptide containing both preIQ and IQ regions (Leu(1599) - Leu(1668)) bound with approximately 2 mol of calmodulin per peptide. These results support the hypothesis that two molecules of calmodulin can simultaneously bind to the C-terminus of the Cav1.2 channel and modulate its facilitatory and inhibitory activities.

Calpastatin binds to a calmodulin-binding site of cardiac Cav1.2 Ca2+ channels.

Calpastatin is an endogenous inhibitor of calpain and composed of domain L (CS(L)), which interacts with the Cav1.2 channels, and four repetitive calpain inhibitory domains. We have previously found that CS(L) reprimes activity of the Cav1.2 channels in cell-free patches of cardiac myocytes [L.Y. Hao, A. Kameyama, S. Kuroki, J. Takano, E. Takano, M. Maki, M. Kameyama, Calpastatin domain L is involved in the regulation L-type of Ca2+ channels in guinea pig cardiac myocytes, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 279 (2000) 756-761; E. Minobe, L.Y. Hao, Z.A. Saud, J.J. Xu, A. Kameyama, M. Maki, K.K. Jewell, T. Parr, R.G. Bardsley, M. Kameyama, A region of calpastatin domain L that reprimes cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 348 (2006) 288-294]. In this study, we explored the CS(L) interaction site in the Ca2+ channel by the pull-down method, using glutathione-S-transferase-fused fragment peptides of the Cav1.2 channel. CS(L) bound directly to a proximal region of the C-terminal tail of the channel, but not with the N-terminal tail, a distal region of the C-terminal tail or cytoplasmic loops between repeats I-II, II-III or III-IV. Furthermore IQ domain, but not EF-hand-like region or CB domain, in the C-terminal tail was found to bind with CS(L) in a partially Ca2+-dependent manner and in a probably competitive manner with calmodulin. These results suggest that CS(L) modulates Ca2+-channel activity through interacting with the calmodulin-binding site on the C-terminal tail of the Cav1.2 channel.

A region of calpastatin domain L that reprimes cardiac L-type Ca2+ channels.

Calpastatin, an endogenous inhibitor of calpain, is composed of domain L and four repetitive homologous domains 1-4. Domains 1-4 inhibit calpain, whereas domain L partially reprimes L-type Ca2+ channels for voltage-gated activation. In the present study, the effects on Ca2+ channel activity of four isoforms and a series of fragments of calpastatin domain L were investigated in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes with the patch-clamp method. With one exception, all the isoforms and fragment peptides that contained amino acid residues 54-64 of domain L reprimed the Ca2+ channels to comparable levels (9-15% of control activity) to those observed previously with a full-length form of calpastatin. These results suggest that the region containing amino acid residues 54-64 (EGKPKEHTEPK) is responsible for the Ca2+ channel repriming function of calpastatin domain L.