Cardiac troponin I inhibitory peptide: location of interaction sites on troponin C

Anomalous structural dynamics of minimally frustrated residues in cardiac troponin C triggers hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Cardiac TnC (cTnC) is highly conserved among mammals, and genetic variants can result in disease by perturbing Ca2+-regulation of myocardial contraction. Here, we report the molecular basis of a human mutation in cTnC's αD-helix (TNNC1-p.C84Y) that impacts conformational dynamics of the D/E central-linker and sampling of discrete states in the N-domain, favoring the "primed" state associated with Ca2+ binding. We demonstrate cTnC's αD-helix normally functions as a central hub that controls minimally frustrated interactions, maintaining evolutionarily conserved rigidity of the N-domain. αD-helix perturbation remotely alters conformational dynamics of the N-domain, compromising its structural rigidity. Transgenic mice carrying this cTnC mutation exhibit altered dynamics of sarcomere function and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Together, our data suggest that disruption of evolutionary conserved molecular frustration networks by a myofilament protein mutation may ultimately compromise contractile performance and trigger hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Modulating the tension-time integral of the cardiac twitch prevents dilated cardiomyopathy in murine hearts

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is often associated with sarcomere protein mutations that confer reduced myofilament tension–generating capacity. We demonstrated that cardiac twitch tension-time integrals can be targeted and tuned to prevent DCM remodeling in hearts with contractile dysfunction. We employed a transgenic murine model of DCM caused by the D230N-tropomyosin (Tm) mutation and designed a sarcomere-based intervention specifically targeting the twitch tension-time integral of D230N-Tm hearts using multiscale computational models of intramolecular and intermolecular interactions in the thin filament and cell-level contractile simulations. Our models predicted that increasing the calcium sensitivity of thin filament activation using the cardiac troponin C (cTnC) variant L48Q can sufficiently augment twitch tension-time integrals of D230N-Tm hearts. Indeed, cardiac muscle isolated from double-transgenic hearts expressing D230N-Tm and L48Q cTnC had increased calcium sensitivity of tension development and increased twitch tension-time integrals compared with preparations from hearts with D230N-Tm alone. Longitudinal echocardiographic measurements revealed that DTG hearts retained normal cardiac morphology and function, whereas D230N-Tm hearts developed progressive DCM. We present a computational and experimental framework for targeting molecular mechanisms governing the twitch tension of cardiomyopathic hearts to counteract putative mechanical drivers of adverse remodeling and open possibilities for tension-based treatments of genetic cardiomyopathies.

Tuning the molecular mechanisms that govern the twitch tension of cardiomyopathic hearts counteracts mechanical drivers of adverse remodeling.

Myofilament Calcium Sensitivity: Mechanistic Insight into TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 Phosphorylation Integration

Troponin I (TnI) is a major regulator of cardiac muscle contraction and relaxation. During physiological and pathological stress, TnI is differentially phosphorylated at multiple residues through different signaling pathways to match cardiac function to demand. The combination of these TnI phosphorylations can exhibit an expected or unexpected functional integration, whereby the function of two phosphorylations are different than that predicted from the combined function of each individual phosphorylation alone. We have shown that TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation exhibit functional integration and are simultaneously increased in response to cardiac stress. In the current study, we investigated the functional integration of TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 to alter cardiac contraction. We hypothesized that Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation each utilize distinct molecular mechanisms to alter the TnI binding affinity within the thin filament. Mathematical modeling predicts that Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation affect different TnI affinities within the thin filament to distinctly alter the Ca²⁺-binding properties of troponin. Protein binding experiments validate this assertion by demonstrating pseudo-phosphorylated Ser-150 decreases the affinity of isolated TnI for actin, whereas Ser-23/24 pseudo-phosphorylation is not different from unphosphorylated. Thus, our data supports that TnI Ser-23/24 affects TnI-TnC binding, while Ser-150 phosphorylation alters TnI-actin binding. By measuring force development in troponin-exchanged skinned myocytes, we demonstrate that the Ca²⁺ sensitivity of force is directly related to the amount of phosphate present on TnI. Furthermore, we demonstrate that Ser-150 pseudo-phosphorylation blunts Ser-23/24-mediated decreased Ca²⁺-sensitive force development whether on the same or different TnI molecule. Therefore, TnI phosphorylations can integrate across troponins along the myofilament. These data demonstrate that TnI Ser-23/24 and Ser-150 phosphorylation regulates muscle contraction in part by modulating different TnI interactions in the thin filament and it is the combination of these differential mechanisms that provides understanding of their functional integration.

Computational studies of the effect of the S23D/S24D troponin I mutation on cardiac troponin structural dynamics

During β-adrenergic stimulation, cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is phosphorylated by protein kinase A (PKA) at sites S23/S24, located at the N-terminus of cTnI. This phosphorylation has been shown to decrease KCa and pCa50, and weaken the cTnC-cTnI (C-I) interaction. We recently reported that phosphorylation results in an increase in the rate of early, slow phase of relaxation (kREL,slow) and a decrease in its duration (tREL,slow), which speeds up the overall relaxation. However, as the N-terminus of cTnI (residues 1-40) has not been resolved in the whole cardiac troponin (cTn) structure, little is known about the molecular-level behavior within the whole cTn complex upon phosphorylation of the S23/S24 residues of cTnI that results in these changes in function. In this study, we built up the cTn complex structure (including residues cTnC 1-161, cTnI 1-172, and cTnT 236-285) with the N-terminus of cTnI. We performed molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations to elucidate the structural basis of PKA phosphorylation-induced changes in cTn structure and Ca(2+) binding. We found that introducing two phosphomimic mutations into sites S23/S24 had no significant effect on the coordinating residues of Ca(2+) binding site II. However, the overall fluctuation of cTn was increased and the C-I interaction was altered relative to the wild-type model. The most significant changes involved interactions with the N-terminus of cTnI. Interestingly, the phosphomimic mutations led to the formation of intrasubunit interactions between the N-terminus and the inhibitory peptide of cTnI. This may result in altered interactions with cTnC and could explain the increased rate and decreased duration of slow-phase relaxation seen in myofibrils.

Designing heart performance by gene transfer

The birth of molecular cardiology can be traced to the development and implementation of high-fidelity genetic approaches for manipulating the heart. Recombinant viral vector-based technology offers a highly effective approach to genetically engineer cardiac muscle in vitro and in vivo. This review highlights discoveries made in cardiac muscle physiology through the use of targeted viral-mediated genetic modification. Here the history of cardiac gene transfer technology and the strengths and limitations of viral and nonviral vectors for gene delivery are reviewed. A comprehensive account is given of the application of gene transfer technology for studying key cardiac muscle targets including Ca(2+) handling, the sarcomere, the cytoskeleton, and signaling molecules and their posttranslational modifications. The primary objective of this review is to provide a thorough analysis of gene transfer studies for understanding cardiac physiology in health and disease. By comparing results obtained from gene transfer with those obtained from transgenesis and biophysical and biochemical methodologies, this review provides a global view of cardiac structure-function with an eye towards future areas of research. The data presented here serve as a basis for discovery of new therapeutic targets for remediation of acquired and inherited cardiac diseases.

Interaction of cardiac troponin with cardiotonic drugs: a structural perspective

Over the 40 years since its discovery, many studies have focused on understanding the role of troponin as a myofilament based molecular switch in regulating the Ca(2+)-dependent activation of striated muscle contraction. Recently, studies have explored the role of cardiac troponin as a target for cardiotonic agents. These drugs are clinically useful for treating heart failure, a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump enough blood to other organs. These agents act via a mechanism that modulates the Ca(2+)-sensitivity of troponin; such a mode of action is therapeutically desirable because intracellular Ca(2+) concentration is not perturbed, preserving the regulation of other Ca(2+)-based signaling pathways. This review describes molecular details of the interaction of cardiac troponin with a variety of cardiotonic drugs. We present recent structural work that has identified the docking sites of several cardiotonic drugs in the troponin C-troponin I interface and discuss their relevance in the design of troponin based drugs for the treatment of heart disease.

Structural kinetics of cardiac troponin C mutants linked to familial hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy in troponin complexes

The key events in regulating cardiac muscle contraction involve Ca(2+) binding to and release from cTnC (troponin C) and structural changes in cTnC and other thin filament proteins triggered by Ca(2+) movement. Single mutations L29Q and G159D in human cTnC have been reported to associate with familial hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy, respectively. We have examined the effects of these individual mutations on structural transitions in the regulatory N-domain of cTnC triggered by Ca(2+) binding and dissociation. This study was carried out with a double mutant or triple mutants of cTnC, reconstituted into troponin with tryptophanless cTnI and cTnT. The double mutant, cTnC(L12W/N51C) labeled with 1,5-IAEDANS at Cys-51, served as a control to monitor Ca(2+)-induced opening and closing of the N-domain by Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The triple mutants contained both L12W and N51C labeled with 1,5-IAEDANS, and either L29Q or G159D. Both mutations had minimal effects on the equilibrium distance between Trp-12 and Cys-51-AEDANS in the absence or presence of bound Ca(2+). L29Q had no effect on the closing rate of the N-domain triggered by release of Ca(2+), but reduced the Ca(2+)-induced opening rate. G159D reduced both the closing and opening rates. Previous results showed that the closing rate of cTnC N-domain triggered by Ca(2+) dissociation was substantially enhanced by PKA phosphorylation of cTnI. This rate enhancement was abolished by L29Q or G159D. These mutations alter the kinetics of structural transitions in the regulatory N-domain of cTnC that are involved in either activation (L29Q) or deactivation (G159D). Both mutations appear to be antagonistic toward phosphorylation signaling between cTnI and cTnC.

Role of the acidic N' region of cardiac troponin I in regulating myocardial function

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) phosphorylation modulates myocardial contractility and relaxation during beta-adrenergic stimulation. cTnI differs from the skeletal isoform in that it has a cardiac specific N' extension of 32 residues (N' extension). The role of the acidic N' region in modulating cardiac contractility has not been fully defined. To test the hypothesis that the acidic N' region of cTnI helps regulate myocardial function, we generated cardiac-specific transgenic mice in which residues 2-11 (cTnI(Delta2-11)) were deleted. The hearts displayed significantly decreased contraction and relaxation under basal and beta-adrenergic stress compared to nontransgenic hearts, with a reduction in maximal Ca(2+)-dependent force and maximal Ca(2+)-activated Mg(2+)-ATPase activity. However, Ca(2+) sensitivity of force development and cTnI-Ser(23/24) phosphorylation were not affected. Chemical shift mapping shows that both cTnI and cTnI(Delta2-11) interact with the N lobe of cardiac troponin C (cTnC) and that phosphorylation at Ser(23/24) weakens these interactions. These observations suggest that residues 2-11 of cTnI, comprising the acidic N' region, do not play a direct role in the calcium-induced transition in the cardiac regulatory or N lobe of cTnC. We hypothesized that phosphorylation at Ser(23/24) induces a large conformational change positioning the conserved acidic N region to compete with actin for the inhibitory region of cTnI. Consistent with this hypothesis, deletion of the conserved acidic N' region results in a decrease in myocardial contractility in the cTnI(Delta2-11) mice demonstrating the importance of acidic N' region in regulating myocardial contractility and mediating the response of the heart to beta-AR stimulation.

Phosphorylation-dependent conformational transition of the cardiac specific N-extension of troponin I in cardiac troponin

We present here the solution structure for the bisphosphorylated form of the cardiac N-extension of troponin I (cTnI(1-32)), a region for which there are no previous high-resolution data. Using this structure, the X-ray crystal structure of the cardiac troponin core, and uniform density models of the troponin components derived from neutron contrast variation data, we built atomic models for troponin that show the conformational transition in cardiac troponin induced by bisphosphorylation. In the absence of phosphorylation, our NMR data and sequence analyses indicate a less structured cardiac N-extension with a propensity for a helical region surrounding the phosphorylation motif, followed by a helical C-terminal region (residues 25-30). In this conformation, TnI(1-32) interacts with the N-lobe of cardiac troponin C (cTnC) and thus is positioned to modulate myofilament Ca2+-sensitivity. Bisphosphorylation at Ser23/24 extends the C-terminal helix (residues 21-30) which results in weakening interactions with the N-lobe of cTnC and a re-positioning of the acidic amino terminus of cTnI(1-32) for favorable interactions with basic regions, likely the inhibitory region of cTnI. An extended poly(L-proline)II helix between residues 11 and 19 serves as the rigid linker that aids in re-positioning the amino terminus of cTnI(1-32) upon bisphosphorylation at Ser23/24. We propose that it is these electrostatic interactions between the acidic amino terminus of cTnI(1-32) and the basic inhibitory region of troponin I that induces a bending of cTnI at the end that interacts with cTnC. This model provides a molecular mechanism for the observed changes in cross-bridge kinetics upon TnI phosphorylation.

In Vivo and in Vitro Analysis of Cardiac Troponin I Phosphorylation

Adrenergic stimulation induces positive changes in cardiac contractility and relaxation. Cardiac troponin I is phosphorylated at different sites by protein kinase A and protein kinase C, but the effects of these post-translational modifications on the rate and extent of contractility and relaxation during beta-adrenergic stimulation in the intact animal remain obscure. To investigate the effect(s) of complete and chronic cTnI phosphorylation on cardiac function, we generated transgenic animals in which the five possible phosphorylation sites were replaced with aspartic acid, mimicking a constant state of complete phosphorylation (cTnI-AllP). We hypothesized that chronic and complete phosphorylation of cTnI might result in increased morbidity or mortality, but complete replacement with the transgenic protein was benign with no detectable pathology. To differentiate the effects of the different phosphorylation sites, we generated another mouse model, cTnI-PP, in which only the protein kinase A phosphorylation sites (Ser(23)/Ser(24)) were mutated to aspartic acid. In contrast to the cTnIAllP, the cTnI-PP mice showed enhanced diastolic function under basal conditions. The cTnI-PP animals also showed augmented relaxation and contraction at higher heart rates compared with the nontransgenic controls. Nuclear magnetic resonance amide proton/nitrogen chemical shift analysis of cardiac troponin C showed that, in the presence of cTnI-AllP and cTnI-PP, the N terminus exhibits a more closed conformation, respectively. The data show that protein kinase C phosphorylation of cTnI plays a dominant role in depressing contractility and exerts an antithetic role on the ability of protein kinase A to increase relaxation.

Mapping the binding interface of the cytochrome b5-cytochrome c complex by nuclear magnetic resonance

The interaction between bovine cytochrome b(5) (cyt b(5)) and horse heart cytochrome c (cyt c) is investigated by NMR spectroscopy. Chemical shifts of cyt b(5) backbone resonances and side chain methyl resonances were monitored as a function of cyt c concentration. The shifts are small but saturatable and indicate that the binding of cyt b(5) with cyt c is in fast exchange. An equilibrium association constant of (6 +/- 3) x 10(4) M(-1) was obtained with a lower limit of 180 s(-1) for the dissociation rate of the complex. To resolve considerable ambiguities in the interpretation of the chemical shift mapping, (15)N relaxation experiments and cross-saturation experiments were used as alternative methods to map the cyt b(5)-cyt c binding interface. Results from the three experiments combined demonstrate that the conserved negatively charged region of cyt b(5) surrounding the solvent-exposed heme edge is involved in the interaction with cyt c. These data support the models proposed by Salemme and Mauk [(1976) J. Mol. Biol. 102, 563-568; (1993) Biochemistry 32, 6613-6623].

NMR structure of a bifunctional rhodamine labeled N-domain of troponin C complexed with the regulatory "switch" peptide from troponin I: implications for in situ fluorescence studies in muscle fibers

The structure of the calcium-saturated regulatory domain of skeletal troponin C (sNTnC) complexed with the switch peptide comprising residues 115-131 of troponin I (TnI), and with a bifunctional rhodamine fluorescent label attached to residues 56 (E56C) and 63 (E63C) on the C helix of sNTnC, has been determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The structure shows that the integrity of the C helix is not altered by the E(56,63)C mutations or by the presence of the bifunctional rhodamine and that the label does not interact with the hydrophobic cleft of sNTnC. Moreover, the overall fold of the protein and the position of the TnI peptide are similar to those observed previously with related cardiac NTnC complexes with residues 147-163 of cardiac TnI [Li et al. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 8289-8298] and including the drug bepridil [Wang et al. (2002) J. Biol. Chem. 277, 31124-31133]. The degree of opening of the structure is reduced as compared to that of calcium-saturated sNTnC in the absence of the switch peptide [Gagné et al. (1995) Nat. Struct. Biol. 2, 784-789]. The switch peptide is bound in a shallow and complementary hydrophobic surface cleft largely defined by helices A and B and also has key ionic interactions with sNTnC. These results show that bifunctional rhodamine probes can be attached to surface helices via suitable pairs of solvent-accessible residues that have been mutated to cysteines, without altering the conformation of the labeled domain. A set of such probes can be used to determine the orientation and motion of the target domain in the cellular environment [Corrie et al. (1999) Nature 400, 425-430; Ferguson et al. (2003) Mol. Cell 11(4), in press].

Solution structure of calcium-saturated cardiac troponin C bound to cardiac troponin I

Cardiac troponin C (TnC) is composed of two globular domains connected by a flexible linker. In solution, linker flexibility results in an ill defined orientation of the two globular domains relative to one another. We have previously shown a decrease in linker flexibility in response to cardiac troponin I (cTnI) binding. To investigate the relative orientation of calcium-saturated TnC domains when bound to cTnI, (1)H-(15)N residual dipolar couplings were measured in two different alignment media. Similarity in alignment tensor orientation for the two TnC domains supports restriction of domain motion in the presence of cTnI. The relative spatial orientation of TnC domains bound to TnI was calculated from measured residual dipolar couplings and long-range distance restraints utilizing a rigid body molecular dynamics protocol. The relative domain orientation is such that hydrophobic pockets face each other, forming a latch to constrain separate helical segments of TnI. We have utilized this structure to successfully explain the observed functional consequences of linker region deletion mutants. Together, these studies suggest that, although linker plasticity is important, the ability of TnC to function in muscle contraction can be correlated with a preferred domain orientation and interdomain distance.

Structure of the inhibitory region of troponin by site directed spin labeling electron paramagnetic resonance

Site-directed spin labeling EPR (SDSL-EPR) was used to determine the structure of the inhibitory region of TnI in the intact cardiac troponin ternary complex. Maeda and collaborators have modeled the inhibitory region of TnI (skeletal 96-112: the structural motif that communicates the Ca(2+) signal to actin) as a kinked alpha-helix [Vassylyev, D., Takeda, S., Wakatsuki, S., Maeda, K. & Maeda, Y. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 4847-4852), whereas Trewhella and collaborators have proposed the same region to be a flexible beta-hairpin [Tung, C. S., Wall, M. E., Gallagher, S. C. & Trewhella, J. (2000) Protein Sci. 9, 1312-1326]. To distinguish between the two models, residues 129-145 of cardiac TnI were mutated sequentially to cysteines and labeled with the extrinsic spin probe, MTSSL. Sequence-dependent solvent accessibility was measured as a change in power saturation of the spin probe in the presence of the relaxation agent. In the ternary complex, the 129-137 region followed a pattern characteristic of a regular 3.6 residues/turn alpha-helix. The following region, residues 138-145, showed no regular pattern in solvent accessibility. Measurements of 4 intradomain distances within the inhibitory sequence, using dipolar EPR, were consistent with an alpha-helical structure. The difference in side-chain mobility between the ternary (C.I.T) and binary (C.I) complexes revealed a region of interaction of TnT located at the N-terminal end of the inhibitory sequence, residues 130-135. The above findings for the troponin complex in solution do not support either of the computational models of the binary complex; however, they are in very good agreement with a preliminary report of the x-ray structure of the cardiac ternary complex [Takeda, S. Yamashita, A., Maeda, K. & Maeda, Y. (2002) Biophys. J. 82, 832].

Effects of T142 phosphorylation and mutation R145G on the interaction of the inhibitory region of human cardiac troponin I with the C-domain of human cardiac troponin C

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is the inhibitory component of the troponin complex, and its interaction with cardiac troponin C (cTnC) plays a critical role in transmitting the Ca(2+) signal to the other myofilament proteins in heart muscle contraction. The switch between contraction and relaxation involves a movement of the inhibitory region of cTnI (cIp) from cTnC to actin-tropomyosin. This region of cTnI is prone to missense mutations in heart disease, and a specific mutation, R145G, has been associated with familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. It also contains the unique cardiac PKC phosphorylation site at residue T142. To determine the structural consequences of the mutation R145G and the T142 phosphorylation on the interaction of cIp with cTnC, we have utilized 2D [(1)H, (15)N]-HSQC NMR spectroscopy to monitor the binding of native cIp, cIp-R (R145G), and cIp-P (phosphorylated T142), respectively, to the Ca(2+)-saturated C-domain of cTnC (cCTnC.2Ca(2+)). We also report a strategy for cloning, expression, and purification of cTnI peptide, and both synthetic and recombinant peptides are used in this study. NMR chemical shift mapping indicates that the binding epitope of cIp on cCTnC.2Ca(2+) is not greatly affected, but the affinity is reduced by approximately 14-fold by the T142 phosphorylation and approximately 4-fold by the mutation R145G, respectively. This suggests that these modifications of cIp have an adverse effect on the binding of cIp to cCTnC.2Ca(2+). These perturbations may correlate with the impairment or loss of cTnI function in heart muscle contraction.

Mapping protein-protein interactions in solution by NMR spectroscopy

NMR is very well suited to the study of especially weak protein-protein interactions, as no crystallization is required. The available NMR methods to this end are reviewed and illustrated with applications from the recent biochemical literature: intermolecular NOEs, cross-saturation, chemical shift perturbation, dynamics and exchange perturbation, paramagnetic methods, and dipolar orientation. Most of these methods are now routinely applied for complexes with total molecular mass of 60 kDa and can likely be applied to systems up to 1000 kDa. A substantial fraction of complexes studied show distinct effects of induced fit affecting structural and dynamical properties beyond the contact interface.

Ca(2+) induces an extended conformation of the inhibitory region of troponin I in cardiac muscle troponin

The inhibitory region of troponin I (TnI) plays a central regulatory role in the contraction and relaxation cycle of skeletal and cardiac muscle through its Ca(2+)-dependent interaction with actin. Detailed structural information on the interface between TnC and this region of TnI has been long in dispute. We have used fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to investigate the global conformation of the inhibitory region of a full-length TnI mutant from cardiac muscle (cTnI) in the unbound state and in reconstituted complexes with the other cardiac troponin subunits. The mutant contained a single tryptophan residue at the position 129 which was used as an energy transfer donor, and a single cysteine residue at the position 152 labeled with IAEDANS as energy acceptor. The sequence between Trp129 and Cys152 in cTnI brackets the inhibitory region (residues 130-149), and the distance between the two sites was found to be 19.4 A in free cTnI. This distance was insensitive to reconstitution of cTnI with cardiac troponin T (cTnT), cTnC, or cTnC and cTnT in the absence of bound regulatory Ca(2+) in cTnC. An increase of 9 A in the Trp129-Cys152 separation was observed upon saturation of the Ca(2+) regulatory site of cTnC in the complexes. This large increase suggests an extended conformation of the inhibitory region in the interface between cTnC and cTnI in holo cardiac troponin. This extended conformation is different from a recent model of the Ca(2+)-saturated skeletal TnI-TnC complex in which the inhibitory region is modeled as a beta-turn. The observed Ca(2+)-induced conformational change may be a switch mechanism by which movement of the regulatory region of cTnI to the exposed hydrophobic patch of the open regulatory N-domain of cTnC pulls the inhibitory region away from actin upon Ca(2+) activation in cardiac muscle.

Interaction of bepridil with the cardiac troponin C/troponin I complex

We have investigated the binding of bepridil to calcium-saturated cardiac troponin C in a cardiac troponin C/troponin I complex. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and [(15)N,(2)H]cardiac troponin C permitted the mapping of bepridil-induced amide proton chemical shifts. A single bepridil-binding site in the regulatory domain was found with an affinity constant of approximately 140 microM(-1). In the presence of cardiac troponin I, bepridil binding to the C domain of cardiac troponin C was not detected. The pattern of bepridil-induced chemical shifts is consistent with stabilization of more open regulatory domain conformational states. A similar pattern of chemical shift perturbations was observed for interaction of the troponin I cardiac-specific amino-terminus with the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain. These results suggest that both bepridil and the cardiac-specific amino-terminus may mediate an increase in calcium affinity by interacting with and stabilizing open regulatory domain conformations. Chemical shift mapping suggests a possible role for inactive calcium-binding site I in the modulation of calcium affinity.

Structure, dynamics, and thermodynamics of the structural domain of troponin C in complex with the regulatory peptide 1-40 of troponin I

The structure of the calcium-saturated C-domain of skeletal troponin C (CTnC) in complex with a regulatory peptide comprising residues 1-40 (Rp40) of troponin I (TnI) was determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The solution structure determined by NMR is similar to the structure of the C-domain from intact TnC in complex with TnI(1)(-)(47) determined by X-ray crystallography [Vassylyev, D. G., Takeda, S., Wakatsuki, S., Maeda, K., and Maeda, Y. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95, 4847-4852]. Changes in the dynamic properties of CTnC.2Ca2+ induced by Rp40 binding were investigated using backbone amide (15)N NMR relaxation measurements. Analysis of NMR relaxation data allows for extraction of motional order parameters on a per residue basis, from which the contribution of changes in picosecond to nanosecond time scale motions to the conformational entropy associated with complex formation can be estimated. The results indicate that binding of Rp40 decreases backbone flexibility in CTnC, particularly at the end of the C-terminal helix. The backbone conformational entropy change (-TDeltaS) associated with binding of Rp40 to CTnC.2Ca2+ determined from (15)N relaxation data is 9.6 +/- 0.7 kcal mol(-1) at 30 degrees C. However, estimation of thermodynamic quantities using a structural approach [Lavigne, P., Bagu, J. R., Boyko, R., Willard, L., Holmes, C. F., and Sykes, B. D. (2000) Protein Sci. 9, 252-264] reveals that the change in solvation entropy upon complex formation is dominant and overcomes the thermodynamic "cost" associated with "stiffening" of the protein backbone upon Rp40 binding. Additionally, backbone amide (15)N relaxation data measured at different concentrations of CTnC.2Ca2+.Rp40 reveal that the complex dimerizes in solution. Fitting of the apparent global rotational correlation time as a function of concentration to a monomer-dimer equilibrium yields a dimerization constant of approximately 8.3 mM.

Modulation of cardiac troponin C-cardiac troponin I regulatory interactions by the amino-terminus of cardiac troponin I

Multidimensional heteronuclear magnetic resonance studies of the cardiac troponin C/troponin I(1-80)/troponin I(129-166) complex demonstrated that cardiac troponin I(129-166), corresponding to the adjacent inhibitory and regulatory regions, interacts with and induces an opening of the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain. Chemical shift perturbation mapping and (15)N transverse relaxation rates for intact cardiac troponin C bound to either cardiac troponin I(1-80)/troponin I(129-166) or troponin I(1-167) suggested that troponin I residues 81-128 do not interact strongly with troponin C but likely serve to modulate the interaction of troponin I(129-166) with the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain. Chemical shift perturbations due to troponin I(129-166) binding the cardiac troponin C/troponin I(1-80) complex correlate with partial opening of the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain previously demonstrated by distance measurements using fluorescence methodologies. Fluorescence emission from cardiac troponin C(F20W/N51C)(AEDANS) complexed to cardiac troponin I(1-80) was used to monitor binding of cardiac troponin I(129-166) to the regulatory domain of cardiac troponin C. The apparent K(d) for cardiac troponin I(129-166) binding to cardiac troponin C/troponin I(1-80) was 43.3 +/- 3.2 microM. After bisphosphorylation of cardiac troponin I(1-80) the apparent K(d) increased to 59.1 +/- 1.3 microM. Thus, phosphorylation of the cardiac-specific N-terminus of troponin I reduces the apparent binding affinity of the regulatory domain of cardiac troponin C for cardiac troponin I(129-166) and provides further evidence for beta-adrenergic modulation of troponin Ca(2+) sensitivity through a direct interaction between the cardiac-specific amino-terminus of troponin I and the cardiac troponin C regulatory domain.

Proximity relationships between residue 6 of troponin I and residues in troponin C: further evidence for extended conformation of troponin C in the troponin complex

Skeletal muscle troponin C (TnC) adopts an extended conformation when crystallized alone and a compact one when crystallized with an N-terminal troponin I (TnI) peptide, TnI(1-47) [Vassylyev et al. (1998) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 95, 4847-4852]. The N-terminal region of TnI (residues 1-40) was suggested to play a functional role of facilitating the movement of TnI's inhibitory region between TnC and actin [Tripet et al. (1997) J. Mol. Biol. 271, 728-750]. To test this hypothesis and to investigate the conformation of TnC in the intact troponin complex and in solution, we attached fluorescence and photo-cross-linking probes to a mutant TnI with a single cysteine at residue 6. Distances from this residue to residues of TnC were measured by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer technique, and the sites of photo-cross-linking in TnC were determined by microsequencing and mass spectrometry following enzymatic digestions. Our results show that in the troponin complex neither the distance between TnI residue 6 and TnC residue 89 nor the photo-cross-linking site in TnC, Ser133, changes with Ca(2+), in support of the notion that this region plays mainly a structural rather than a regulatory role. The distances to residues 12 and 41 in TnC's N-domain are both considerably longer than those predicted by the crystal structure of TnC.TnI(1-47), supporting an extended rather than a compact conformation of TnC. In the binary TnC.TnI complex and the presence of Ca(2+), Met43 in TnC's N-domain was identified as the photo-cross-linking site, and multiple distances between TnI residue 6 and TnC residue 41 were detected. This was taken to indicate increased flexibility in TnC's central helix and that TnC dynamically changes between a compact and an extended conformation when troponin T (TnT) is absent. Our results further emphasize the difference between the binary TnC.TnI and the ternary troponin complexes and the importance of using intact proteins in the study of structure-function relationships of troponin.

Regulatory domain conformational exchange and linker region flexibility in cardiac troponin C bound to cardiac troponin I

Previously, we utilized (15)N transverse relaxation rates to demonstrate significant mobility in the linker region and conformational exchange in the regulatory domain of Ca(2+)-saturated cardiac troponin C bound to the isolated N-domain of cardiac troponin I (Gaponenko, V., Abusamhadneh, E., Abbott, M. B., Finley, N., Gasmi-Seabrook, G., Solaro, R.J., Rance, M., and Rosevear, P.R. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 16681-16684). Here we show a large decrease in cardiac troponin C linker flexibility, corresponding to residues 85-93, when bound to intact cardiac troponin I. The addition of 2 m urea to the intact cardiac troponin I-troponin C complex significantly increased linker flexibility. Conformational changes in the regulatory domain of cardiac troponin C were monitored in complexes with troponin I-(1-211), troponin I-(33-211), troponin I-(1-80) and bisphosphorylated troponin I-(1-80). The cardiac specific N terminus, residues 1-32, and the C-domain, residues 81-211, of troponin I are both capable of inducing conformational changes in the troponin C regulatory domain. Phosphorylation of the cardiac specific N terminus reversed its effects on the regulatory domain. These studies provide the first evidence that the cardiac specific N terminus can modulate the function of troponin C by altering the conformational equilibrium of the regulatory domain.