Lethal Arg9Cys phospholamban mutation hinders Ca2+-ATPase regulation and phosphorylation by protein kinase A

HNO enhances SERCA2a activity and cardiomyocyte function by promoting redox-dependent phospholamban oligomerization

AIMS

Nitroxyl (HNO) interacts with thiols to act as a redox-sensitive modulator of protein function. It enhances sarcoplasmic reticular Ca(2+) uptake and myofilament Ca(2+) sensitivity, improving cardiac contractility. This activity has led to clinical testing of HNO donors for heart failure. Here we tested whether HNO alters the inhibitory interaction between phospholamban (PLN) and the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA2a) in a redox-dependent manner, improving Ca(2+) handling in isolated myocytes/hearts.

RESULTS

Ventriculocytes, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles, and whole hearts were isolated from control (wildtype [WT]) or PLN knockout (pln(-/-)) mice. Compared to WT, pln(-/-) myocytes displayed enhanced resting sarcomere shortening, peak Ca(2+) transient, and blunted β-adrenergic responsiveness. HNO stimulated shortening, relaxation, and Ca(2+) transient in WT cardiomyocytes, and evoked positive inotropy/lusitropy in intact hearts. These changes were markedly blunted in pln(-/-) cells/hearts. HNO enhanced SR Ca(2+) uptake in WT but not pln(-/-) SR-vesicles. Spectroscopic studies in insect cell microsomes expressing SERCA2a±PLN showed that HNO increased Ca(2+)-dependent SERCA2a conformational flexibility but only when PLN was present. In cardiomyocytes, HNO achieved this effect by stabilizing PLN in an oligomeric disulfide bond-dependent configuration, decreasing the amount of free inhibitory monomeric PLN available.

INNOVATION

HNO-dependent redox changes in myocyte PLN oligomerization relieve PLN inhibition of SERCA2a.

CONCLUSIONS

PLN plays a central role in HNO-induced enhancement of SERCA2a activity, leading to increased inotropy/lusitropy in intact myocytes and hearts. PLN remains physically associated with SERCA2a; however, less monomeric PLN is available resulting in decreased inhibition of the enzyme. These findings offer new avenues to improve Ca(2+) handling in failing hearts.

Probing the interaction of Arg9Cys mutated phospholamban with phospholipid bilayers by solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Phospholamban (PLB) is a 52 amino acid integral membrane protein that interacts with the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) ATPase (SERCA) and helps to regulate Ca(2+) flow. PLB inhibits SERCA impairing Ca(2+) translocation. The inhibition can be relieved upon phosphorylation of PLB. The Arg9 to Cys (R9C) mutation is a loss of function mutation with reduced inhibitory potency. The effect R9C PLB has on the membrane surface and the hydrophobic region dynamics was investigated by (31)P and (2)H solid-state NMR spectroscopy in multilamellar vesicles (MLVs). The (31)P NMR spectra indicate that, like the phosphorylated PLB (P-PLB), the mutated R9C-PLB protein has significantly less interaction with the lipid bilayer headgroup when compared to wild-type PLB (WT-PLB). Similar to P-PLB, R9C-PLB slightly decreases (31)P T1 values in the lipid headgroup region. (2)H SCD order parameters of (2)H nuclei along the lipid acyl chain decrease less dramatically for R9C-PLB and P-PLB when compared to WT-PLB. The results suggest that R9C-PLB interacts less with the membrane surface and hydrophobic region than WT-PLB. Detachment of the cytoplasmic domain of R9C-PLB from the membrane surface could be related to its loss of function.

Structure-function relation of phospholamban: modulation of channel activity as a potential regulator of SERCA activity

Phospholamban (PLN) is a small integral membrane protein, which binds and inhibits in a yet unknown fashion the Ca²⁺-ATPase (SERCA) in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. When reconstituted in planar lipid bilayers PLN exhibits ion channel activity with a low unitary conductance. From the effect of non-electrolyte polymers on this unitary conductance we estimate a narrow pore with a diameter of ca. 2.2 Å for this channel. This value is similar to that reported for the central pore in the structure of the PLN pentamer. Hence the PLN pentamer, which is in equilibrium with the monomer, is the most likely channel forming structure. Reconstituted PLN mutants, which either stabilize (K27A and R9C) or destabilize (I47A) the PLN pentamer and also phosphorylated PLN still generate the same unitary conductance of the wt/non-phosphorylated PLN. However the open probability of the phosphorylated PLN and of the R9C mutant is significantly lower than that of the respective wt/non-phosphorylated control. In the context of data on PLN/SERCA interaction and on Ca²⁺ accumulation in the sarcoplasmic reticulum the present results are consistent with the view that PLN channel activity could participate in the balancing of charge during Ca²⁺ uptake. A reduced total conductance of the K⁺ transporting PLN by phosphorylation or by the R9C mutation may stimulate Ca²⁺ uptake in the same way as an inhibition of K⁺ channels in the SR membrane. The R9C-PLN mutation, a putative cause of dilated cardiomyopathy, might hence affect SERCA activity also via its inherent low open probability.

Tuning the structural coupling between the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of phospholamban to control sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) function

Phospholamban (PLN) is the endogenous inhibitor of the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA), the integral membrane enzyme responsible for 70 % of the removal of Ca(2+) from the cytosol, inducing cardiac muscle relaxation in humans. Dysfunctions in SERCA:PLN interactions have been implicated as having a critical role in cardiac disease, and targeting Ca(2+) transport has been demonstrated to be a promising avenue in treating conditions of heart failure. Here, we designed a series of new mutants able to tune SERCA function, targeting the loop sequence that connects the transmembrane and cytoplasmic helices of PLN. We found that a variable degree of loss of inhibition mutants is attainable by engineering glycine mutations along PLN's loop domain. Remarkably, a double glycine mutation results in a complete loss-of-function mutant, fully mimicking the phosphorylated state of PLN. Using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we rationalized the effects of these mutations in terms of entropic control on PLN function, whose inhibitory function can be modulated by increasing its conformational dynamics. However, if PLN mutations go past a threshold set by the phosphorylated state, they break the structural coupling between the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains, resulting in a species that behaves as the inhibitory transmembrane domain alone. These studies provide new potential candidates for gene therapy to reverse the effects of heart failure.

Structural dynamics of muscle protein phosphorylation

We have used site-directed spectroscopic probes to detect structural changes, motions, and interactions due to phosphorylation of proteins involved in the regulation of muscle contraction and relaxation. Protein crystal structures provide static snapshots that provide clues to the conformations that are sampled dynamically by proteins in the cellular environment. Our site-directed spectroscopic experiments, combined with computational simulations, extend these studies into functional assemblies in solution, and reveal details of protein regions that are too dynamic or disordered for crystallographic approaches. Here, we discuss phosphorylation-mediated structural transitions in the smooth muscle myosin regulatory light chain, the striated muscle accessory protein myosin binding protein-C, and the cardiac membrane Ca(2+) pump modulator phospholamban. In each of these systems, phosphorylation near the N terminus of the regulatory protein relieves an inhibitory interaction between the phosphoprotein and its regulatory target. Several additional unifying themes emerge from our studies: (a) The effect of phosphorylation is not to change the affinity of the phosphoprotein for its regulated binding partner, but to change the structure of the bound complex without dissociation. (b) Phosphorylation induces transitions between order and dynamic disorder. (c) Structural states are only loosely coupled to phosphorylation; i.e., complete phosphorylation induces dramatic functional effects with only a partial shift in the equilibrium between ordered and disordered structural states. These studies, which offer atomic-resolution insight into the structural and functional dynamics of these phosphoproteins, were inspired in part by the ground-breaking work in this field by Michael and Kate Barany.

2-Color calcium pump reveals closure of the cytoplasmic headpiece with calcium binding

The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) undergoes conformational changes while transporting calcium, but the details of the domain motions are still unclear. The objective of the present study was to measure distances between the cytoplasmic domains of SERCA2a in order to reveal the magnitude and direction of conformational changes. Using fluorescence microscopy of live cells, we measured intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from a donor fluorescent protein fused to the SERCA N-terminus to an acceptor fluorescent protein fused to either the N-, P-, or transmembrane domain. The "2-color" SERCA constructs were catalytically active as indicated by ATPase activity in vitro and Ca uptake in live cells. All constructs exhibited dynamic FRET changes in response to the pump ligands calcium and thapsigargin (Tg). These FRET changes were quantified as an index of SERCA conformational changes. Intramolecular FRET decreased with Tg for the two N-domain fusion sites (at residue 509 or 576), while the P- (residue 661) and TM-domain (C-terminus) fusions showed increased FRET with Tg. The magnitude of the Tg-dependent conformational change was not decreased by coexpression of phospholamban (PLB), nor did PLB slow the kinetics of Tg binding. FRET in ionophore-permeabilized cells was lower in EGTA than in saturating calcium for all constructs, indicating a decrease in domain separation distance with the structural transition from E2 (Ca-free) to E1 (Ca-bound). The data suggest closure of the cytoplasmic headpiece with Ca-binding. The present results provide insight into the structural dynamics of the Ca-ATPase. In addition, the 2-color SERCA constructs developed for this study may be useful for evaluating candidate small molecule regulators of Ca uptake activity.

Lethal, hereditary mutants of phospholamban elude phosphorylation by protein kinase A

The sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump (SERCA) and its regulator, phospholamban, are essential components of cardiac contractility. Phospholamban modulates contractility by inhibiting SERCA, and this process is dynamically regulated by β-adrenergic stimulation and phosphorylation of phospholamban. Herein we reveal mechanistic insight into how four hereditary mutants of phospholamban, Arg(9) to Cys, Arg(9) to Leu, Arg(9) to His, and Arg(14) deletion, alter regulation of SERCA. Deletion of Arg(14) disrupts the protein kinase A recognition motif, which abrogates phospholamban phosphorylation and results in constitutive SERCA inhibition. Mutation of Arg(9) causes more complex changes in function, where hydrophobic substitutions such as cysteine and leucine eliminate both SERCA inhibition and phospholamban phosphorylation, whereas an aromatic substitution such as histidine selectively disrupts phosphorylation. We demonstrate that the role of Arg(9) in phospholamban function is multifaceted: it is important for inhibition of SERCA, it increases the efficiency of phosphorylation, and it is critical for protein kinase A recognition in the context of the phospholamban pentamer. Given the synergistic consequences on contractility, it is not surprising that the mutants cause lethal, hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy.

Hydrophobic imbalance in the cytoplasmic domain of phospholamban is a determinant for lethal dilated cardiomyopathy

The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) and its regulatory partner phospholamban (PLN) are essential for myocardial contractility. Arg(9) → Cys (R9C) and Arg(14) deletion (R14del) mutations in PLN are associated with lethal dilated cardiomyopathy in humans. To better understand these mutations, we made a series of amino acid substitutions in the cytoplasmic domain of PLN and tested their ability to inhibit SERCA. R9C is a complete loss-of-function mutant of PLN, whereas R14del is a mild loss-of-function mutant. When combined with wild-type PLN to simulate heterozygous conditions, the mutants had a dominant negative effect on SERCA function. A series of targeted mutations in this region of the PLN cytoplasmic domain ((8)TRSAIRR(14)) demonstrated the importance of hydrophobic balance in proper PLN regulation of SERCA. We found that Arg(9) → Leu and Thr(8) → Cys substitutions mimicked the behavior of the R9C mutant, and an Arg(14) → Ala substitution mimicked the behavior of the R14del mutant. The results reveal that the change in hydrophobicity resulting from the R9C and R14del mutations is sufficient to explain the loss of function and persistent interaction with SERCA. Hydrophobic imbalance in the cytoplasmic domain of PLN appears to be a predictor for the development and progression of dilated cardiomyopathy.

Accurate quantitation of phospholamban phosphorylation by immunoblot

We have developed a quantitative immunoblot method to measure the mole fraction of phospholamban (PLB) phosphorylated at Ser16 (X(p)) in biological samples. In cardiomyocytes, PLB phosphorylation activates the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA), which reduces cytoplasmic Ca(2+) to relax the heart during diastole. Unphosphorylated PLB (uPLB) inhibits SERCA at low [Ca(2+)] but phosphorylated PLB (pPLB) is less inhibitory, so myocardial physiology and pathology depend critically on X(p). Current methods of X(p) determination by immunoblot provide moderate precision but poor accuracy. We have solved this problem using purified uPLB and pPLB standards produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis. In each assay, a pair of blots is performed with identical standards and unknowns using antibodies partially selective for uPLB and pPLB, respectively. When performed on mixtures of uPLB and pPLB, the assay measures both total PLB (tPLB) and X(p) with accuracy of 96% or better. We assayed pig cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and found that X(p) varied widely among four animals, from 0.08 to 0.38, but there was remarkably little variation in the ratios of X(p)/tPLB and uPLB/SERCA, suggesting that PLB phosphorylation is tuned to maintain homeostasis in SERCA regulation.

Allostery and binding cooperativity of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A by NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations

The catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA-C) is an exquisite example of a single molecule allosteric enzyme, where classical and modern views of allosteric signaling merge. In this chapter, we describe the mapping of PKA-C conformational dynamics and allosteric signaling in the free and bound states using a combination of NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulations. We show that ligand binding affects the enzyme's conformational dynamics, shaping the free-energy landscape toward the next stage of the catalytic cycle. While nucleotide and substrate binding enhance the enzyme's conformational entropy and define dynamically committed states, inhibitor binding attenuates the internal dynamics in favor of enthalpic interactions and delineates dynamically quenched states. These studies support a central role of conformational dynamics in many aspects of enzymatic turnover and suggest future avenues for controlling enzymatic function.

Dysferlin forms a dimer mediated by the C2 domains and the transmembrane domain in vitro and in living cells

Dysferlin was previously identified as a key player in muscle membrane repair and its deficiency leads to the development of muscular dystrophy and cardiomyopathy. However, little is known about the oligomerization of this protein in the plasma membrane. Here we report for the first time that dysferlin forms a dimer in vitro and in living adult skeletal muscle fibers isolated from mice. Endogenous dysferlin from rabbit skeletal muscle exists primarily as a ∼460 kDa species in detergent-solubilized muscle homogenate, as shown by sucrose gradient fractionation, gel filtration and cross-linking assays. Fluorescent protein (YFP) labeled human dysferlin forms a dimer in vitro, as demonstrated by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and photon counting histogram (PCH) analyses. Dysferlin also dimerizes in living cells, as probed by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Domain mapping FRET experiments showed that dysferlin dimerization is mediated by its transmembrane domain and by multiple C2 domains. However, C2A did not significantly contribute to dimerization; notably, this is the only C2 domain in dysferlin known to engage in a Ca-dependent interaction with cell membranes. Taken together, the data suggest that Ca-insensitive C2 domains mediate high affinity self-association of dysferlin in a parallel homodimer, leaving the Ca-sensitive C2A domain free to interact with membranes.

Phospholamban binds with differential affinity to calcium pump conformers

To investigate the mechanism of regulation of sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA) by phospholamban (PLB), we expressed Cerulean-SERCA and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-PLB in adult rabbit ventricular myocytes using adenovirus vectors. SERCA and PLB were localized in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and were mobile over multiple sarcomeres on a timescale of tens of seconds. We also observed robust fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from Cerulean-SERCA to YFP-PLB. Electrical pacing of cardiac myocytes elicited cytoplasmic Ca(2+) elevations, but these increases in Ca(2+) produced only modest changes in SERCA-PLB FRET. The data suggest that the regulatory complex is not disrupted by elevations of cytosolic calcium during cardiac contraction (systole). This conclusion was also supported by parallel experiments in heterologous cells, which showed that FRET was reduced but not abolished by calcium. Thapsigargin also elicited a small decrease in PLB-SERCA binding affinity. We propose that PLB is not displaced from SERCA by high calcium during systole, and relief of functional inhibition does not require dissociation of the regulatory complex. The observed modest reduction in the affinity of the PLB-SERCA complex with Ca(2+) or thapsigargin suggests that the binding interface is altered by SERCA conformational changes. The results are consistent with multiple modes of PLB binding or alternative binding sites.

A phospholamban-tethered cardiac Ca2+ pump reveals stoichiometry and dynamic interactions between the two proteins

To study PLB (phospholamban) inhibition of the cardiac Ca2+ pump [SERCA2a (sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2a)], a fusion protein (SER-20G-PLB) was engineered by tethering SERCA2a with PLB through a 20-glycine residue chain, allowing the PLB tether to either bind to or dissociate from the inhibition site on SERCA2a. When expressed in insect cells, SER-20G-PLB produced active Ca2+ uptake, which was stimulated by the anti-PLB antibody, both similar to that which occurred with the control sample co-expressing WT (wild-type)-SERCA2a and WT-PLB. The KCa values of Ca2+-dependent ATPase were similar for SER-20G-PLB (0.29±0.02 μM) and for the control sample (0.30±0.02 μM), both greater than 0.17±0.01 μM for WT-SERCA2a expressed alone. Thus SER-20G-PLB retains a fully active Ca2+ pump, but its apparent Ca2+ affinity was decreased intrinsically by tethered PLB at a 1:1 molar stoichiometry. Like WT-PLB, SER-20G-PLB ran as both monomers and homo-pentamers on SDS/PAGE. As Ca2+ concentrations increase from 0 to the micromolar range, the proportion of non-inhibiting pentamers increased from 32% to 52%, suggesting that Ca2+ activation of the pump completely dissociates the PLB tether from the inhibition site on SERCA2a, with concurrent association of PLB pentamers. Collectively, the regulation of SERCA2a is achieved through the Ca2+-dependent equilibria involving PLB association and dissociation from SERCA2a, and assembling and disassembling of SER-20G-PLB pentamers.

Structural topology of phospholamban pentamer in lipid bilayers by a hybrid solution and solid-state NMR method

Phospholamban (PLN) is a type II membrane protein that inhibits the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SERCA), thereby regulating calcium homeostasis in cardiac muscle. In membranes, PLN forms pentamers that have been proposed to function either as a storage for active monomers or as ion channels. Here, we report the T-state structure of pentameric PLN solved by a hybrid solution and solid-state NMR method. In lipid bilayers, PLN adopts a pinwheel topology with a narrow hydrophobic pore, which excludes ion transport. In the T state, the cytoplasmic amphipathic helices (domains Ia) are absorbed into the lipid bilayer with the transmembrane domains arranged in a left-handed coiled-coil configuration, crossing the bilayer with a tilt angle of approximately 11° with respect to the membrane normal. The tilt angle difference between the monomer and pentamer is approximately 13°, showing that intramembrane helix-helix association forces dominate over the hydrophobic mismatch, driving the overall topology of the transmembrane assembly. Our data reveal that both topology and function of PLN are shaped by the interactions with lipids, which fine-tune the regulation of SERCA.