Cysteine-ethylation of tissue-extracted membrane proteins as a tool to detect conformational states by solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Structural basis for allosteric control of the SERCA-Phospholamban membrane complex by Ca2+ and phosphorylation

Phospholamban (PLN) is a mini-membrane protein that directly controls the cardiac Ca2+-transport response to β-adrenergic stimulation, thus modulating cardiac output during the fight-or-flight response. In the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane, PLN binds to the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), keeping this enzyme's function within a narrow physiological window. PLN phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase A or increase in Ca2+ concentration reverses the inhibitory effects through an unknown mechanism. Using oriented-sample solid-state NMR spectroscopy and replica-averaged NMR-restrained structural refinement, we reveal that phosphorylation of PLN's cytoplasmic regulatory domain signals the disruption of several inhibitory contacts at the transmembrane binding interface of the SERCA-PLN complex that are propagated to the enzyme's active site, augmenting Ca2+ transport. Our findings address long-standing questions about SERCA regulation, epitomizing a signal transduction mechanism operated by posttranslationally modified bitopic membrane proteins.

Selective One-Dimensional 13C-13C Spin-Diffusion Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Methods to Probe Spatial Arrangements in Biopolymers Including Plant Cell Walls, Peptides, and Spider Silk

Two-dimensional (2D) and 3D through-space ¹³C-¹³C homonuclear spin-diffusion techniques are powerful solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tools for extracting structural information from ¹³C-enriched biomolecules, but necessarily long acquisition times restrict their applications. In this work, we explore the broad utility and underutilized power of a chemical shift-selective one-dimensional (1D) version of a 2D ¹³C-¹³C spin-diffusion solid-state NMR technique. The method, which is called 1D dipolar-assisted rotational resonance (DARR) difference, is applied to a variety of biomaterials including lignocellulosic plant cell walls, microcrystalline peptide fMLF, and black widow dragline spider silk. 1D ¹³C-¹³C spin-diffusion methods described here apply in select cases in which the 1D ¹³C solid-state NMR spectrum displays chemical shift-resolved moieties. This is analogous to the selective 1D nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) experiment utilized in liquid-state NMR as a faster (1D instead of 2D) and often less ambiguous (direct sampling of the time domain data, coupled with increased signal averaging) alternative to 2D NOESY. Selective 1D ¹³C-¹³C spin-diffusion methods are more time-efficient than their 2D counterparts such as proton-driven spin diffusion (PDSD) and dipolar-assisted rotational resonance. The additional time gained enables measurements of ¹³C-¹³C spin-diffusion buildup curves and extraction of spin-diffusion time constants T_SD, yielding detailed structural information. Specifically, selective 1D DARR difference buildup curves applied to ¹³C-enriched hybrid poplar woody stems confirm strong spatial interaction between lignin and acetylated xylan polymers within poplar plant secondary cell walls, and an interpolymer distance of ∼0.45-0.5 nm was estimated. Additionally, Tyr/Gly long-range correlations were observed on isotopically enriched black widow spider dragline silks.