Paper Citing NAMD - Abstract
Khoa Pham; Dhulipala, Gangadhar; Gonzalez, Walter G.; Gerstman, Bernard S.; Regmi, Chola; Chapagain, Prem P.; Miksovska, Jaroslava
Ca2+ and Mg2+ modulate conformational dynamics and stability of downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator
PROTEIN SCIENCE, 24:741-751, MAY 2015
Downstream Regulatory Element Antagonist Modulator (DREAM) belongs to the family of neuronal calcium sensors (NCS) that transduce the intracellular changes in Ca2+ concentration into a variety of responses including gene expression, regulation of Kv channel activity, and calcium homeostasis. Despite the significant sequence and structural similarities with other NCS members, DREAM shows several features unique among NCS such as formation of a tetramer in the apo-state, and interactions with various intracellular biomacromolecules including DNA, presenilin, Kv channels, and calmodulin. Here we use spectroscopic techniques in combination with molecular dynamics simulation to study conformational changes induced by Ca2+/Mg2+ association to DREAM. Our data indicate a minor impact of Ca2+ association on the overall structure of the N- and C-terminal domains, although Ca2+ binding decreases the conformational heterogeneity as evident from the decrease in the fluorescence lifetime distribution in the Ca2+ bound forms of the protein. Time-resolved fluorescence data indicate that Ca(2+)binding triggers a conformational transition that is characterized by more efficient quenching of Trp residue. The unfolding of DREAM occurs through an partially unfolded intermediate that is stabilized by Ca2+ association to EF-hand 3 and EF-hand 4. The native state is stabilized with respect to the partially unfolded state only in the presence of both Ca2+ and Mg2+ suggesting that, under physiological conditions, Ca2+ free DREAM exhibits a high conformational flexibility that may facilitate its physiological functions.
