Structures, functions and molecular evolution of the penta-EF-hand Ca2+-binding proteins

Proteolysis of mitochondrial calpain-13 in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury

Calpains are calcium-dependent cysteine proteases activated by intracellular Ca2+. Although calpains mainly exist in the cytosol, calpain-13 is present in the mitochondria in mouse brains; however, the enzymatic properties and physiological functions of calpain-13 remain unknown. Hence, in this study, we predicted and evaluated the enzymatic properties of calpain-13. Based on our bioinformatic approaches, calpain-13 possessed a catalytic triad and EF-hand domain, similar to calpain-1, a well-studied calpain. Therefore, we hypothesized that calpain-13 had calpain-1-like enzymatic properties; however, calpain-13 was not proteolyzed in C57BL/6J mouse brains. Subsequently, cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury caused proteolysis of mitochondrial calpain-13. Thus, our study showed that mitochondrial calpain-13 was proteolyzed in the mitochondria of the I/R injured mouse brain. This finding could be valuable in further research elucidating the involvement of calpain-13 in cell survival or death in brain diseases, such as cerebral infarction.

Multifaceted roles of PDCD6 both within and outside the cell

Programmed cell death protein 6 (PDCD6) is an evolutionarily conserved Ca2+-binding protein. PDCD6 is involved in regulating multifaceted and pleiotropic cellular processes in different cellular compartments. For instance, nuclear PDCD6 regulates apoptosis and alternative splicing. PDCD6 is required for coat protein complex II-dependent endoplasmic reticulum-to-Golgi apparatus vesicular transport in the cytoplasm. Recent advances suggest that cytoplasmic PDCD6 is involved in the regulation of cytoskeletal dynamics and innate immune responses. Additionally, membranous PDCD6 participates in membrane repair through endosomal sorting complex required for transport complex-dependent membrane budding. Interestingly, extracellular vesicles are rich in PDCD6. Moreover, abnormal expression of PDCD6 is closely associated with many diseases, especially cancer. PDCD6 is therefore a multifaceted but pivotal protein in vivo. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of PDCD6 functions and to focus and stimulate PDCD6 research, this review summarizes key developments in its role in different subcellular compartments, processes, and pathologies.

Human calpain-3 and its structural plasticity: dissociation of a homohexamer into dimers on binding titin

Calpain-3 is an intracellular Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease abundant in skeletal muscle. Its physiological role in the sarcomere is thought to include removing damaged muscle proteins after exercise. Loss-of-function mutations in its single-copy gene cause a dystrophy of the limb-girdle muscles. These mutations, of which there are over 500 in humans, are spread all along this 94-kDa multi-domain protein that includes three 40+-residue sequences (NS, IS1, and IS2). The latter sequences are unique to this calpain isoform and are hypersensitive to proteolysis. To investigate the whole enzyme structure and how mutations might affect its activity, we produce the proteolytically more stable 85-kDa calpain-3 ΔNS ΔIS1 form with a C129A inactivating mutation as a recombinant protein in E. coli. During size-exclusion chromatography, this calpain-3 was consistently eluted as a much larger 0.5-MDa complex rather than the expected 170-kDa dimer. Its size, which was confirmed by SEC-MALS, Blue Native PAGE, and AUC, made the complex amenable to single-particle cryo-EM analysis. From two data sets, we obtained a 3.85-Å reconstruction map that shows the complex is a trimer of calpain-3 dimers with six penta-EF-hand domains at its core. Calpain-3 has been reported to bind the N2A region of the giant muscle protein titin. When this 37-kDa region of titin was co-expressed with calpain-3 the multimer was reduced to a 320-kDa particle, which appears to be the calpain dimer bound to several copies of the titin fragment. We suggest that newly synthesized calpain-3 is kept as an inactive hexamer until it binds the N2A region of titin in the sarcomere, whereupon it dissociates into functional dimers.

Uncovering allostery and regulation in SORCIN through molecular dynamics simulations

Soluble resistance-related calcium-binding protein or Sorcin is an allosteric, calcium-binding Penta-EF hand (PEF) family protein implicated in multi-drug resistant cancers. Sorcin is known to bind chemotherapeutic molecules such as Doxorubicin. This study uses in-silico molecular dynamics simulations to explore the dynamics and allosteric behavior of Sorcin in the context of Ca2+ uptake and Doxorubicin binding. The results show that Ca2+ binding induces large, but reversible conformational changes in the Sorcin structure which manifest as rigid body reorientations that preserve the local secondary structure. A reciprocal allosteric handshake centered around the EF5 hand is found to be key in Sorcin dimer formation and stabilization. Binding of Doxorubicin results in rearrangement of allosteric communities which disrupts long-range allosteric information transfer from the N-terminal domain to the middle lobe. However, this binding does not result in secondary structure destabilization. Sorcin does not appear to have a distinct Ca2+ activated mode of Doxorubicin binding.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Steady-state regulation of COPII-dependent secretory cargo sorting by inositol trisphosphate receptors, calcium, and penta EF hand proteins

Recently, we demonstrated that agonist-stimulated Ca2+ signaling involving IP3 receptors modulates ER export rates through activation of the penta-EF Hand proteins apoptosis-linked gene-2 (ALG-2) and peflin. It is unknown, however, whether IP3Rs and penta-EF proteins regulate ER export rates at steady state. Here we tested this idea in normal rat kidney epithelial cells by manipulation of IP3R isoform expression. Under standard growth conditions, spontaneous cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations occurred simultaneously in successive groups of contiguous cells, generating intercellular Ca2+ waves that moved across the monolayer periodically. Depletion of IP3R-3, typically the least promiscuous IP3R isoform, caused increased cell participation in intercellular Ca2+ waves in unstimulated cells. The increased spontaneous signaling was sufficient to cause increased ALG-2 and COPII coat subunit Sec31A and decreased peflin localization at ER exit sites, resulting in increased ER-to-Golgi transport of the COPII client cargo VSV-G. The elevated ER-to-Golgi transport caused greater concentration of VSV-G at ER exit sites and had reciprocal effects on transport of VSV-G and a bulk-flow cargo, though both cargos equally required Sec31A. Inactivation of client cargo sorting using 4-phenylbutyrate had opposing reciprocal effects on client and bulk-flow cargo and neutralized any effect of ALG-2 activation on transport. This work extends our knowledge of ALG-2 mechanisms and indicates that in normal rat kidney cells, IP3R isoforms regulate homeostatic Ca2+ signaling that helps determine the basal secretion rate and stringency of COPII-dependent cargo sorting.

Role of Gasdermin E in the Biogenesis of Apoptotic Cell-Derived Exosomes

The gasdermins are a family of pore-forming proteins that has recently been suggested to play a central role in pyroptosis. In this study, we describe the novel roles of gasdermins in the biogenesis of apoptotic cell-derived exosomes. In apoptotic human HeLa and HEK293 cells, GSDMA, GSDMC, GSDMD, and GSDME increased the release of apoptotic exosomes. GSDMB and DFNB59, in contrast, negatively affected the release of apoptotic exosomes. GSDME at its full-length and cleaved forms was localized in the exosomes and exosomal membrane. Full-length and cleaved forms of GSDME are suggested to increase Ca2+ influx to the cytosol through endosomal pores and thus increase the biogenesis of apoptotic exosomes. In addition, the GSDME-mediated biogenesis of apoptotic exosomes depended on the ESCRT-III complex and endosomal recruitment of Ca2+-dependent proteins, that is, annexins A2 and A7, the PEF domain family proteins sorcin and grancalcin, and the Bro1 domain protein HD-PTP. Therefore, we propose that the biogenesis of apoptotic exosomes begins when gasdermin-mediated endosomal pores increase cytosolic Ca2+, continues through the recruitment of annexin-sorcin/grancalcin-HD-PTP, and is completed when the ESCRT-III complex synthesizes intraluminal vesicles in the multivesicular bodies of dying cells. Finally, we found that GSDME-bearing tumors released apoptotic exosomes to induce inflammatory responses in the in vivo mouse 4T1 orthotropic model of BALB/c breast cancer. The data indicate that the switch from apoptosis to pyroptosis could drive the transfer of mass signals to nearby or distant living cells and tissues by way of extracellular vesicles, and that gasdermins play critical roles in that process.

Giant proteins in a giant cell: Molecular basis of ultrafast Ca2+-dependent cell contraction

The giant single-celled eukaryote, Spirostomum, exhibits one of the fastest movements in the biological world. This ultrafast contraction is dependent on Ca²⁺ rather than ATP and therefore differs to the actin-myosin system in muscle. We obtained the high-quality genome of Spirostomum minus from which we identified the key molecular components of its contractile apparatus, including two major Ca²⁺ binding proteins (Spasmin 1 and 2) and two giant proteins (GSBP1 and GSBP2), which act as the backbone and allow for the binding of hundreds of spasmins. The evidence suggests that the GSBP-spasmin protein complex is the functional unit of the mesh-like contractile fibrillar system, which, coupled with various other subcellular structures, provides the mechanism for repetitive ultrafast cell contraction and extension. These findings improve our understanding of the Ca²⁺-dependent ultrafast movement and provide a blueprint for future biomimicry, design, and construction of this kind of micromachine.

Molecular modeling, molecular dynamics simulation, and essential dynamics analysis of grancalcin: An upregulated biomarker in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice

The experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mouse model is the most commonly used animal model, and it best represents multiple sclerosis. Grancalcin (GCA) was discovered to be upregulated in EAE mice. GCA comprises 220 amino acids that have been assigned the UniprotKB ID Q8VC88. It is a calcium-binding protein that helps neutrophils adhere to fibronectin and the formation of focal adhesions. However, the protein data bank does not contain the crystal structure of mouse GCA. The current study aims to analyze the structural and physicochemical properties of GCA. Mouse GCA showed a high percentage identity (87%) with the crystal structure of des (1–52) grancalcin with bound calcium (chain A) from Homo sapiens identified by its PDB id 1k94_A. Using the SWISS-MODEL server, we used 1k94_A as a template protein to model the mouse GCA protein. Compared to the template structure 1K94, three potential binding sites for calcium-binding have been proposed, ranging from 13 to 20, 80 to 91, and 109 to 120 amino acids. On an i5 personal computer with 8GB of RAM, GROMACS 2020.1 was utilized to run a 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. RMSD, Rg, and RMSF analysis of an MD simulation trajectory indicate a stable and compact state throughout the simulation period of modeled proteins. We found that GCA is primarily alpha helical (Class 1), with eight alpha helices. The essential dynamics analysis captures PCA and SASA, culminating in the biological motions that correspond to the last 1000 frames. These findings will aid the development of potential inhibitors as well as the determination of binding pockets and residues for drug-like molecules.

ALG-2 and peflin regulate COPII targeting and secretion in response to calcium signaling

ER-to-Golgi transport is the first step in the constitutive secretory pathway, which, unlike regulated secretion, is believed to proceed nonstop independent of Ca2+ flux. However, here we demonstrate that penta-EF hand (PEF) proteins ALG-2 and peflin constitute a hetero-bifunctional COPII regulator that responds to Ca2+ signaling by adopting one of several distinct activity states. Functionally, these states can adjust the rate of ER export of COPII-sorted cargos up or down by ∼50%. We found that at steady-state Ca2+, ALG-2/peflin hetero-complexes bind to ER exit sites (ERES) through the ALG-2 subunit to confer a low, buffered secretion rate, while peflin-lacking ALG-2 complexes markedly stimulate secretion. Upon Ca2+ signaling, ALG-2 complexes lacking peflin can either increase or decrease the secretion rate depending on signaling intensity and duration-phenomena that could contribute to cellular growth and intercellular communication following secretory increases or protection from excitotoxicity and infection following decreases. In epithelial normal rat kidney (NRK) cells, the Ca2+-mobilizing agonist ATP causes ALG-2 to depress ER export, while in neuroendocrine PC12 cells, Ca2+ mobilization by ATP results in ALG-2-dependent enhancement of secretion. Furthermore, distinct Ca2+ signaling patterns in NRK cells produce opposing ALG-2-dependent effects on secretion. Mechanistically, ALG-2-dependent depression of secretion involves decreased levels of the COPII outer shell and increased peflin targeting to ERES, while ALG-2-dependent enhancement of secretion involves increased COPII outer shell and decreased peflin at ERES. These data provide insights into how PEF protein dynamics affect secretion of important physiological cargoes such as collagen I and significantly impact ER stress.

Structural insight into the binding pattern and interaction mechanism of chemotherapeutic agents with Sorcin by docking and molecular dynamic simulation

Sorcin (SOluble Resistance-related Calcium bInding proteiN) is a calcium binding protein that plays a key role in multidrug resistance (MDR) in human cancers. This study aimed at understanding the binding mechanism and structural basis for the interaction of structurally and functionally unrelated chemotherapeutic agent, namely doxorubicin, etoposide, omacetaxine mepesuccinate and paclitaxel with Sorcin by utilizing docking and molecular dynamic simulation approaches. The docking evaluation of etoposide, omacetaxine mepesuccinate and paclitaxel have shown a high affinity binding with Sorcin at the Ca²⁺-binding C-terminal domain (SCBD) in a comparable mode and affinity of binding to doxorubicin. Moreover, all of the docked compounds were shown to interact both hydrophilically and hydrophobically with the same residues within the active pocket which is located at interface of the Sorcin and collectively formed by EF5 loop, G helix and EF4 loop. However, the MD simulations revealed that the dynamics of Sorcin structure is different in the presence of the compounds when compared and contrasted to the Apo Sorcin, particularly in the first 25 ns, after which each system gained considerable structure stability. The difference in dynamics might be the outcome of high N and C-terminal flexibility that seem not to disturb compounds binding conformation but more likely is affecting chemical interaction network by breaking and establishing old and new hydrogen bonds, respectively. This detailed mechanistic understanding of different chemotherapeutic agents binding to Sorcin might be useful to open windows for designing and developing new inhibitors that are potentially capable of reversing the MDR in human cancers.

The Ca2+ -binding protein sorcin stimulates transcriptional activity of the unfolded protein response mediator ATF6

Sorcin is a calcium-binding protein involved in maintaining endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca²⁺ stores. We have previously shown that overexpressing sorcin under the rat insulin promoter was protective against high-fat diet-induced pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction in vivo. Activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6) is a key mediator of the unfolded protein response (UPR) that provides cellular protection during the progression of ER stress. Here, using nonexcitable HEK293 cells, we show that sorcin overexpression increased ATF6 signalling, whereas sorcin knock out caused a reduction in ATF6 transcriptional activity and increased ER stress. Altogether, our data suggest that sorcin downregulation during lipotoxic stress may prevent full ATF6 activation and a normal UPR during the progression of obesity and insulin resistance.

Mutant Presenilin 1 Dysregulates Exosomal Proteome Cargo Produced by Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Neurons

The accumulation and propagation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-Tau) is a neuropathological hallmark occurring with neurodegeneration of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Extracellular vesicles, exosomes, have been shown to initiate tau propagation in the brain. Notably, exosomes from human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) neurons expressing the AD familial A246E mutant form of presenilin 1 (mPS1) are capable of inducing tau deposits in the mouse brain after in vivo injection. To gain insights into the exosome proteome cargo that participates in propagating tau pathology, this study conducted proteomic analysis of exosomes produced by human iPSC neurons expressing A246E mPS1. Significantly, mPS1 altered the profile of exosome cargo proteins to result in (1) proteins present only in mPS1 exosomes and not in controls, (2) the absence of proteins in the mPS1 exosomes which were present only in controls, and (3) shared proteins which were upregulated or downregulated in the mPS1 exosomes compared to controls. These results show that mPS1 dysregulates the proteome cargo of exosomes to result in the acquisition of proteins involved in the extracellular matrix and protease functions, deletion of proteins involved in RNA and protein translation systems along with proteasome and related functions, combined with the upregulation and downregulation of shared proteins, including the upregulation of amyloid precursor protein. Notably, mPS1 neuron-derived exosomes displayed altered profiles of protein phosphatases and kinases involved in regulating the status of p-tau. The dysregulation of exosome cargo proteins by mPS1 may be associated with the ability of mPS1 neuron-derived exosomes to propagate tau pathology.

Two transcriptionally distinct pathways drive female development in a reptile with both genetic and temperature dependent sex determination

How temperature determines sex remains unknown. A recent hypothesis proposes that conserved cellular mechanisms (calcium and redox; 'CaRe' status) sense temperature and identify genes and regulatory pathways likely to be involved in driving sexual development. We take advantage of the unique sex determining system of the model organism, Pogona vitticeps, to assess predictions of this hypothesis. P. vitticeps has ZZ male: ZW female sex chromosomes whose influence can be overridden in genetic males by high temperatures, causing male-to-female sex reversal. We compare a developmental transcriptome series of ZWf females and temperature sex reversed ZZf females. We demonstrate that early developmental cascades differ dramatically between genetically driven and thermally driven females, later converging to produce a common outcome (ovaries). We show that genes proposed as regulators of thermosensitive sex determination play a role in temperature sex reversal. Our study greatly advances the search for the mechanisms by which temperature determines sex.

Lysosomal TRPML1 Channel: Implications in Cardiovascular and Kidney Diseases

Lysosomal ion channels mediate ion flux from lysosomes and regulate membrane potential across the lysosomal membrane, which are essential for lysosome biogenesis, nutrient sensing, lysosome trafficking, lysosome enzyme activity, and cell membrane repair. As a cation channel, the transient receptor potential mucolipin 1 (TRPML1) channel is mainly expressed on lysosomes and late endosomes. Recently, the normal function of TRPML1 channels has been demonstrated to be important for the maintenance of cardiovascular and renal glomerular homeostasis and thereby involved in the pathogenesis of some cardiovascular and kidney diseases. In arterial myocytes, it has been found that Nicotinic Acid Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate (NAADP), an intracellular second messenger, can induce Ca²⁺ release through the lysosomal TRPML1 channel, leading to a global Ca²⁺ release response from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). In podocytes, it has been demonstrated that lysosomal TRPML1 channels control lysosome trafficking and exosome release, which contribute to the maintenance of podocyte functional integrity. The defect or functional deficiency of lysosomal TRPML1 channels has been shown to critically contribute to the initiation and development of some chronic degeneration or diseases in the cardiovascular system or kidneys. Here we briefly summarize the current evidence demonstrating the regulation of lysosomal TRPML1 channel activity and related signaling mechanisms. We also provide some insights into the canonical and noncanonical roles of TRPML1 channel dysfunction as a potential pathogenic mechanism for certain cardiovascular and kidney diseases and associated therapeutic strategies.

The sunflower TLDc-containing protein HaOXR2 confers tolerance to oxidative stress and waterlogging when expressed in maize plants

The sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) genome encodes six proteins containing a TLDc domain, typical of the eukaryotic OXidation Resistance (OXR) protein family. Expression of sunflower HaOXR2 in Arabidopsis generated plants with increased rosette diameter, higher number of leaves and increased seed production. Maize inbred lines expressing HaOXR2 also showed increased total leaf area per plant. In addition, heterologous expression of HaOXR2 induced an increase in the oxidative stress tolerance in Arabidopsis and maize. Maize transgenic plants expressing HaOXR2 experienced less oxidative damage and exhibited increased photosynthetic performance and efficiency than non-transgenic segregant plants after treatment of leaves with the reactive oxygen species generating compound Paraquat. Expression of HaOXR2 in maize also improved tolerance to waterlogging. The number of expanded leaves, aerial biomass, and stem height and cross-section area were less affected by waterlogging in HaOXR2 expressing plants, which also displayed less aerial tissue damage under these conditions. Transgenic plants also showed an increased production of roots, a typical adaptive stress response. The results show the existence of functional conservation of OXR proteins in dicot and monocot plants and indicate that HaOXR2 could be useful to improve plant performance under conditions that increase oxidative stress.

The potential mechanism of action of Sorcin and its interacting proteins

Sorcin (Soluble resistance-related calcium binding protein) is a calcium binding oncoprotein. Sorcin is overexpressed in several human tumors and cancer cells lines which confers multidrug resistance (MDR) to these cells. This review summarizes the biochemical functions of Sorcin which includes modulation of calcium homeostasis, apoptosis, and cancer metastasis. Sorcin is involved in various biological processes by interacting with other proteins, such as p-glycoprotein, programmed cell death protein 6, tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1, Annexin A7, polo-like kinase 1, HCV nonstructural 5A, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, presenilin 2, α-synuclein, Ca²⁺-release channel and others. A deeper look into the function and interacting partners of Sorcin sheds more light on the possible effects of its physical activity and more elaborately, exploring the role of Sorcin in future research prospects.

A muscle-specific calpain, CAPN3, forms a homotrimer

Calpain-3 (CAPN3), a 94-kDa member of the calpain protease family, is abundant in skeletal muscle. Mutations in the CAPN3 gene cause limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A, indicating that CAPN3 plays important roles in muscle physiology. CAPN3 has several unique features. A crystallographic study revealed that its C-terminal penta-EF-hand domains form a homodimer, suggesting that CAPN3 functions as a homodimeric protease. To analyze complex formation of CAPN3 in a more convenient manner, we performed blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and found that the observed molecular weight of native CAPN3, as well as recombinant CAPN3, was larger than 240 kDa. Further analysis by cross-linking and sequential immunoprecipitation revealed that CAPN3 in fact forms a homotrimer. Trimer formation was abolished by the deletion of the PEF domain, but not the CAPN3-specific insertion sequences NS, IS1, and IS2. The PEF domain alone formed a homodimer, as reported, but addition of the adjacent CBSW domain to its N-terminus reinforced the trimer-forming property. Collectively, these results suggest that CAPN3 forms a homotrimer in which the PEF domain's dimer-forming ability is influenced by other domains.

Structures and functions of penta-EF-hand calcium-binding proteins and their interacting partners: enigmatic relationships between ALG-2 and calpain-7

The penta-EF-hand (PEF) protein family includes ALG-2 (gene name, PDCD6) and its paralogs as well as classical calpain family members. ALG-2 is a prototypic PEF protein that is widely distributed in eukaryotes and interacts with a variety of proteins in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner. Mammalian ALG-2 and its interacting partners have various modulatory roles including roles in cell death, signal transduction, membrane repair, ER-to-Golgi vesicular transport, and RNA processing. Some ALG-2-interacting proteins are key factors that function in the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) system. On the other hand, mammalian calpain-7 (CAPN7) lacks the PEF domain but contains two microtubule-interacting and trafficking (MIT) domains in tandem. CAPN7 interacts with a subset of ESCRT-III proteins through the MIT domains and regulates EGF receptor downregulation. Structures and functions of ALG-2 and those of its interacting partners as well as relationships with the calpain family are reviewed in this article.

Verification of the Saccharina japonica Translocon Tic20 and its Localization in the Chloroplast Membrane in Diatoms

Tic20 is an important translocon protein that plays a role in protein transport in the chloroplast. The sequence of Tic20 was determined in the lower brown alga Saccharina japonica. Structural analysis of SjTic20 revealed a noncanonical structure consisting of an N-terminal non-cyanobacterium-originated EF-hand domain (a helix-loop-helix structural domain) and a C-terminal cyanobacterium-originated Tic20 domain. Subcellular localization and transmembrane analysis indicated that SjTic20 featured an "M"-type Nin-Cin-terminal orientation, with four transmembrane domains in the innermost membrane of the chloroplast in the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and the EF-hand domain was entirely extruded into the chloroplast stroma. Our study provides information on the structure, localization, and topological features of SjTic20, and further functional analysis of SjTic20 in S. japonica is needed.

Cul3 and insomniac are required for rapid ubiquitination of postsynaptic targets and retrograde homeostatic signaling

At the Drosophila neuromuscular junction, inhibition of postsynaptic glutamate receptors activates retrograde signaling that precisely increases presynaptic neurotransmitter release to restore baseline synaptic strength. However, the nature of the underlying postsynaptic induction process remains enigmatic. Here, we design a forward genetic screen to discover factors in the postsynaptic compartment necessary to generate retrograde homeostatic signaling. This approach identified insomniac (inc), a putative adaptor for the Cullin-3 (Cul3) ubiquitin ligase complex, which together with Cul3 is essential for normal sleep regulation. Interestingly, we find that Inc and Cul3 rapidly accumulate at postsynaptic compartments following acute receptor inhibition and are required for a local increase in mono-ubiquitination. Finally, we show that Peflin, a Ca²⁺-regulated Cul3 co-adaptor, is necessary for homeostatic communication, suggesting a relationship between Ca²⁺ signaling and control of Cul3/Inc activity in the postsynaptic compartment. Our study suggests that Cul3/Inc-dependent mono-ubiquitination, compartmentalized at postsynaptic densities, gates retrograde signaling and provides an intriguing molecular link between the control of sleep and homeostatic plasticity at synapses.

The authors use a forward genetic screen to discover postsynaptic factors required for homeostatic synaptic plasticity at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. They identify insomniac and the ubiquitin ligase Cul3, genes involved in sleep regulation, to be necessary for retrograde homeostatic signalling at this synapse.

The mitochondrial oxidation resistance protein AtOXR2 increases plant biomass and tolerance to oxidative stress

This study demonstrates the existence of the oxidation resistance (OXR) protein family in plants. There are six OXR members in Arabidopsis that contain the highly conserved TLDc domain that is characteristic of this eukaryotic protein family. AtOXR2 is a mitochondrial protein able to alleviate the stress sensitivity of a yeast oxr1 mutant. It was induced by oxidative stress and its overexpression in Arabidopsis (oeOXR2) increased leaf ascorbate, photosynthesis, biomass, and seed production, as well as conferring tolerance to methyl viologen, antimycin A, and high light intensities. The oeOXR2 plants also showed higher ABA content, changes in ABA sensitivity, and modified expression of ABA- and stress-regulated genes. While the oxr2 mutants had a similar shoot phenotype to the wild-type, they exhibited increased sensitivity to stress. We propose that by influencing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), AtOXR2 improves the efficiency of photosynthesis and elicits basal tolerance to environmental challenges that increase oxidative stress, allowing improved plant growth and biomass production.

Ca2+-Binding Proteins of the EF-Hand Superfamily: Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers and Novel Therapeutic Targets

A multitude of Ca²⁺-sensor proteins containing the specific Ca²⁺-binding motif (helix-loop-helix, called EF-hand) are of major clinical relevance in a many human diseases. Measurements of troponin, the first intracellular Ca-sensor protein to be discovered, is nowadays the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Mutations have been identified in calmodulin and linked to inherited ventricular tachycardia and in patients affected by severe cardiac arrhythmias. Parvalbumin, when introduced into the diseased heart by gene therapy to increase contraction and relaxation speed, is considered to be a novel therapeutic strategy to combat heart failure. S100 proteins, the largest subgroup with the EF-hand protein family, are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune pathologies. The intention of this review is to summarize the clinical importance of this protein family and their use as biomarkers and potential drug targets, which could help to improve the diagnosis of human diseases and identification of more selective therapeutic interventions.

Interaction sites of PEF proteins for recognition of their targets

The EF-hand is a helix-loop-helix motif observed mainly in intracellular calcium binding proteins. The EF-hand usually occurs as a pair, EF-lobe, which is a unit of evolution and structure. Penta EF-hand (PEF) proteins form a unique group including calpain, sorcin, grancalcin, ALG-2, and peflin. The fifth EF-hand of PEF proteins makes a pair with that of another PEF protein. The members of PEF family have diverse functions and their evolution is complex. The interaction of PEF proteins with target occurs at several sites. Here, we analyzed the ancestral sequences of each group of PEF proteins and determined the interfaces for the specific and selective interaction to the target among several PEF proteins. The shape of the groove for interaction at common site is different among PEF proteins. We found that the changes at limited sites induced the divergence of interaction sites that determines the selectivity of targets. The residues involved the changes at limited sites are important for the drug design selective to each PEF protein.

Molecular cloning and characterization of calmodulin-like protein CaLP from the Scleractinian coral Galaxea astreata

Optimal temperature and light are both necessary conditions for coral survival. Light enhances calcification, and thermal stress disrupts Ca2+ homeostasis. As calcium is involved in many important metabolic activities, in this study, we cloned the calmodulin-like protein (CaLP) gene of one of the scleractinian corals, Galaxea astreata. We also detected the relative mRNA expression levels of gaCaLP using the calcium channel blocker verapamil and CaCl2 treatment under conditions of light and dark, and compared expression levels under controlled temperature conditions. Full-length gaCaLP cDNA comprised 1290 nucleotides and contained 498 bp open reading frame that encoded a protein with 165 amino acids. With CaCl2, expression levels of gaCaLP only increased in the presence of light, suggesting that light may be a restrictive factor in CaLP expression when sufficient calcium is available in the environment. In addition, after verapami treatment, we noted that a down regulation of gaCaLP, suggesting that the expression of CaLP is closely related to extracellular Ca2+ influx. Under temperature stress at both high (30 °C) and low (20 °C) temperatures, expression levels of gaCaLP showed an initial increase, followed by a decreasing trend as treatment progressed. Expression levels reached their maximum value at 24 h. This result showed that CaLP participated in a temperature stress response, and Ca2+ homeostasis was disrupted during stress. The findings of the present study will help determine the function and regulatory mechanisms of gaCaLP.

Mechanisms of beneficial effects of metformin on fatty acid-treated human islets

Elevated levels of palmitate accentuate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) after short-term and cause beta-cell dysfunction after prolonged exposure. We investigated whether metformin, the first-line oral drug for treatment of T2DM, has beneficial effects on FFA-treated human islets and the potential mechanisms behind the effects. Insulin secretion, oxygen consumption rate (OCR), AMPK activation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and apoptosis were examined in isolated human islets after exposure to elevated levels of palmitate in the absence or presence of metformin. Palmitate exposure doubled GSIS after 2 days but halved after 7 days compared with control. Inclusion of metformin during palmitate exposure normalized insulin secretion both after 2 and 7 days. After 2-day exposure to palmitate, OCR and the marker of the adaptive arm of ER stress response (sorcin) were significantly raised, whereas AMPK phosphorylation, markers of pro-apoptotic arm of ER stress response (p-EIF2α and CHOP) and apoptosis (cleaved caspase 3) were not affected. Presence of metformin during 2-day palmitate exposure normalized OCR and sorcin levels. After 7-day exposure to palmitate, OCR and sorcin were not significantly different from control level, p-AMPK was reduced and p-EIF2α, CHOP and cleaved caspase 3 were strongly upregulated. Presence of metformin during 7-day culture with palmitate normalized the level of p-AMPK, p-EIF2α, CHOP and cleaved caspase 3 but significantly increased the level of sorcin. Our study demonstrates that metformin prevents early insulin hypersecretion and later decrease in insulin secretion from palmitate-treated human islets by utilizing different mechanisms.

Adaptor functions of the Ca2+-binding protein ALG-2 in protein transport from the endoplasmic reticulum

Apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG-2) is a Ca²⁺-binding protein with five repetitive EF-hand motifs, named penta-EF-hand (PEF) domain. It interacts with various target proteins and functions as a Ca²⁺-dependent adaptor in diverse cellular activities. In the cytoplasm, ALG-2 is predominantly localized to a specialized region of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), called the ER exit site (ERES), through its interaction with Sec31A. Sec31A is an outer coat protein of coat protein complex II (COPII) and is recruited from the cytosol to the ERES to form COPII-coated transport vesicles. I will overview current knowledge of the physiological significance of ALG-2 in regulating ERES localization of Sec31A and the following adaptor functions of ALG-2, including bridging Sec31A and annexin A11 to stabilize Sec31A at the ERES, polymerizing the Trk-fused gene (TFG) product, and linking MAPK1-interacting and spindle stabilizing (MISS)-like (MISSL) and microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) to promote anterograde transport from the ER.

Insertion sequence 1 from calpain-3 is functional in calpain-2 as an internal propeptide

Calpains are intracellular, calcium-activated cysteine proteases. Calpain-3 is abundant in skeletal muscle, where its mutation-induced loss of function causes limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A. Unlike the small subunit-containing calpain-1 and -2, the calpain-3 isoform homodimerizes through pairing of its C-terminal penta-EF-hand domain. It also has two unique insertion sequences (ISs) not found in the other calpains: IS1 within calpain-3's protease core and IS2 just prior to the penta-EF-hand domain. Production of either native or recombinant full-length calpain-3 to characterize the function of these ISs is challenging. Therefore, here we used recombinant rat calpain-2 as a stable surrogate and inserted IS1 into its equivalent position in the protease core. As it does in calpain-3, IS1 occupied the catalytic cleft and restricted the enzyme's access to substrate and inhibitors. Following activation by Ca²⁺, IS1 was rapidly cleaved by intramolecular autolysis, permitting the enzyme to freely accept substrate and inhibitors. The surrogate remained functional until extensive intermolecular autoproteolysis inactivated the enzyme, as is typical of calpain-2. Although the small-molecule inhibitors E-64 and leupeptin limited intermolecular autolysis of the surrogate, they did not block the initial intramolecular cleavage of IS1, establishing its role as a propeptide. Surprisingly, the large-molecule calpain inhibitor, calpastatin, completely blocked enzyme activity, even with IS1 intact. We suggest that calpastatin is large enough to oust IS1 from the catalytic cleft and take its place. We propose an explanation for why calpastatin can inhibit calpain-2 bearing the IS1 insertion but cannot inhibit WT calpain-3.

Soluble resistance-related calcium-binding protein in cancers

Soluble resistance-related calcium binding protein (Sorcin) is an oncoprotein expressed at high levels in human cancers and confers multidrug resistance (MDR) in several tumors. Sorcin participates in a number of neoplastic processing including metastasis and apoptosis. In this review, we summarize and discuss the relationship of Sorcin with tumors as well as its regulatory mechanisms. Sorcin is increasingly considered as a potential molecular target for therapeutic intervention.

Structures of human calpain-3 protease core with and without bound inhibitor reveal mechanisms of calpain activation

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2a arises from mutations in the Ca2+-activated intracellular cysteine protease calpain-3. This calpain isoform is abundant in skeletal muscle and differs from the main isoforms, calpain-1 and -2, in being a homodimer and having two short insertion sequences. The first of these, IS1, interrupts the protease core and must be cleaved for activation and substrate binding. Here, to learn how calpain-3 can be regulated and inhibited, we determined the structures of the calpain-3 protease core with IS1 present or proteolytically excised. To prevent intramolecular IS1 autoproteolysis, we converted the active-site Cys to Ala. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis of the C129A mutant suggested that IS1 is disordered and mobile enough to occupy several locations. Surprisingly, this was also true for the apo version of this mutant. We therefore concluded that IS1 might have a binding partner in the sarcomere and is unstructured in its absence. After autoproteolytic IS1 removal from the active Cys129 calpain-3 protease core, we could solve its crystal structures with and without the cysteine protease inhibitors E-64 and leupeptin covalently bound to the active-site cysteine. In each structure, the active state of the protease core was assembled by the cooperative binding of two Ca2+ ions to the equivalent sites used in calpain-1 and -2. These structures of the calpain-3 active site with residual IS1 and with bound E-64 and leupeptin may help guide the design of calpain-3-specific inhibitors.

Nanoluciferase Reporter Gene System Directed by Tandemly Repeated Pseudo-Palindromic NFAT-Response Elements Facilitates Analysis of Biological Endpoint Effects of Cellular Ca2+ Mobilization

NFAT is a cytoplasm-localized hyper-phosphorylated transcription factor that is activated through dephosphorylation by calcineurin, a Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase. A non-palindromic NFAT-response element (RE) found in the IL2 promoter region has been commonly used for a Ca²⁺-response reporter gene system, but requirement of concomitant activation of AP-1 (Fos/Jun) often complicates the interpretation of obtained results. A new nanoluciferase (NanoLuc) reporter gene containing nine-tandem repeats of a pseudo-palindromic NFAT-RE located upstream of the IL8 promoter was designed to monitor Ca²⁺-induced transactivation activity of NFAT in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells by measuring luciferase activities of NanoLuc and co-expressed firefly luciferase for normalization. Ionomycin treatment enhanced the relative luciferase activity (RLA), which was suppressed by calcineurin inhibitors. HEK293 cells that stably express human STIM1 and Orai1, components of the store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) machinery, gave a much higher RLA by stimulation with thapsigargin, an inhibitor of sarcoplasmic/endoplamic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase (SERCA). HEK293 cells deficient in a penta-EF-hand Ca²⁺-binding protein ALG-2 showed a higher RLA value than the parental cells by stimulation with an acetylcholine receptor agonist carbachol. The novel reporter gene system is found to be useful for applications to cell signaling research to monitor biological endpoint effects of cellular Ca²⁺ mobilization.

In silico analysis of the EF-hand proteins in the genome of Giardia intestinalis assembly A

Giardia intestinalis is a parasite that inhabits the small intestine of humans and other mammals, causing a disease that can manifest itself with acute diarrhea. This parasite is an early divergent eukaryote with a compact genome and a life cycle composed of two distinct cell types: the trophozoite, the replicative form, and the cyst, the infectious form. Signal transduction pathways implicated in differentiation processes of G. intestinalis are largely unknown. Calcium, considered an essential messenger in cell signaling, has been shown to regulate a myriad of key cell processes including metabolism, motility, and exocytosis, among other important functions, through calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs). The most important and largest family of CaBPs is the EF-hand protein family. To investigate the nature of calcium signaling pathways present in this protozoan, an in silico analysis of the genome to identify genes encoding EF-hand proteins was undertaken. Twenty-eight sequences containing EF-hand domains were found; most of which have only a pair of domains, and half of the sequences were divergent or unique to Giardia. In addition, the transcription pattern for eight genes encoding EF-hand proteins was assessed during encystation. It was found that all the genes were differentially transcribed suggesting a different function in this process. The in silico results suggest that in G. intestinalis, calcium is involved in the regulation of protein phosphorylation through kinases and phosphatases.

Novel calpain families and novel mechanisms for calpain regulation in Aplysia

Calpains are a family of intracellular proteases defined by a conserved protease domain. In the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, calpains are important for the induction of long-term synaptic plasticity and memory, at least in part by cleaving protein kinase Cs (PKCs) into constitutively active kinases, termed protein kinase Ms (PKMs). We identify 14 genes encoding calpains in Aplysia using bioinformatics, including at least one member of each of the four major calpain families into which metazoan calpains are generally classified, as well as additional truncated and atypical calpains. Six classical calpains containing a penta-EF-hand (PEF) domain are present in Aplysia. Phylogenetic analysis determined that these six calpains come from three separate classical calpain families. One of the classical calpains in Aplysia, AplCCal1, has been implicated in plasticity. We identify three splice cassettes and an alternative transcriptional start site in AplCCal1. We characterize several of the possible isoforms of AplCCal1 in vitro, and demonstrate that AplCCal1 can cleave PKCs into PKMs in a calcium-dependent manner in vitro. We also find that AplCCal1 has a novel mechanism of auto-inactivation through N-terminal cleavage that is modulated through its alternative transcriptional start site.

The calcium-binding protein ALG-2 regulates protein secretion and trafficking via interactions with MISSL and MAP1B proteins

Mobilization of intracellular calcium is essential for a wide range of cellular processes, including signal transduction, apoptosis, and vesicular trafficking. Several lines of evidence have suggested that apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG-2, also known as PDCD6), a calcium-binding protein, acts as a calcium sensor linking calcium levels with efficient vesicular trafficking, especially at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi transport step. However, how ALG-2 regulates these processes remains largely unclear. Here, we report that MAPK1-interacting and spindle-stabilizing (MISS)-like (MISSL), a previously uncharacterized protein, interacts with ALG-2 in a calcium-dependent manner. Live-cell imaging revealed that upon a rise in intracellular calcium levels, GFP-tagged MISSL (GFP-MISSL) dynamically relocalizes in a punctate pattern and colocalizes with ALG-2. MISSL knockdown caused disorganization of the components of the ER exit site, the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment, and Golgi. Importantly, knockdown of either MISSL or ALG-2 attenuated the secretion of secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP), a model secreted cargo protein, with similar reductions in secretion by single- and double-protein knockdowns, suggesting that MISSL and ALG-2 act in the same pathway to regulate the secretion process. Furthermore, ALG-2 or MISSL knockdown delayed ER-to-Golgi transport of procollagen type I. We also found that ALG-2 and MISSL interact with microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) and that MAP1B knockdown reverts the reduced secretion of SEAP caused by MISSL or ALG-2 depletion. These results suggest that a change in the intracellular calcium level plays a role in regulation of the secretory pathway via interaction of ALG-2 with MISSL and MAP1B.

Experimental and bioinformatic characterization of CaBP2933 an EF-Hand protein of Giardia intestinalis

Giardia intestinalis is a parasite that inhabits the small intestine of humans. This parasite is a divergent eukaryote with a compact genome. The calcium ion is an essential messenger in cell signaling. Calcium's role as a messenger is mediated through calcium-binding proteins (CaBPs) that decode the message. The most important family of CaBPs is the EF-Hand protein family. In this study we have explored the role of EF-Hand protein CaBP2933. We analyzed its location, confirmed its ability to bind calcium and identified some of its interacting proteins. Take together our results suggest that CaBP2933 is involved in vesicular trafficking during encystation, via an interaction with kinesin-3 motor protein.

Annexins: Ca2+ Effectors Determining Membrane Trafficking in the Late Endocytic Compartment

Despite the discovery of annexins 40 years ago, we are just beginning to understand some of the functions of these still enigmatic proteins. Defined and characterized by their ability to bind anionic membrane lipids in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner, each annexin has to be considered a multifunctional protein, with a multitude of cellular locations and diverse activities. Underlying causes for this considerable functional diversity include their capability to associate with multiple cytosolic and membrane proteins. In recent years, the increasingly recognized establishment of membrane contact sites between subcellular compartments opens a new scenario for annexins as instrumental players to link Ca²⁺ signalling with the integration of membrane trafficking in many facets of cell physiology. In this chapter, we review and discuss current knowledge on the contribution of annexins in the biogenesis and functioning of the late endocytic compartment, affecting endo- and exocytic pathways in a variety of physiological consequences ranging from membrane repair, lysosomal exocytosis, to cell migration.

A Gastrointestinal Calpain Complex, G-calpain, Is a Heterodimer of CAPN8 and CAPN9 Calpain Isoforms, Which Play Catalytic and Regulatory Roles, Respectively

Calpains (CAPN) are a family of Ca²⁺-dependent cysteine proteases that regulate various cellular functions by cleaving diverse substrates. Of the 15 mammalian calpains, CAPN8 and CAPN9 are two that are expressed predominantly in the gastrointestinal tract, where they interact to form a protease complex, termed G-calpain. However, because native G-calpain exhibits a highly restricted expression pattern, it has never been purified, and the interactions between CAPN8 and CAPN9 have not been characterized. Here, we clarified the molecular nature of G-calpain by using recombinant proteins and transgenic mice expressing FLAG-tagged CAPN8 (CAPN8-FLAG). Recombinant mouse CAPN8 and CAPN9 co-expressed in eukaryotic expression systems exhibited the same mobility as native mouse G-calpain in Blue Native-PAGE gels, and CAPN8-FLAG immunoprecipitation from stomach homogenates of the transgenic mice showed that CAPN9 was the only protein that associated with CAPN8-FLAG. These results indicated that G-calpain is a heterodimer of CAPN8 and CAPN9. In addition, active recombinant G-calpain was expressed and purified using an in vitro translation system, and the purified protease exhibited enzymatic properties that were comparable with that of calpain-2. We found that an active-site mutant of CAPN8, but not CAPN9, compromised G-calpain's substrate cleavage activity, and that the N-terminal helix region of CAPN8 and the C-terminal EF-hands of CAPN8 and CAPN9 were involved in CAPN8/9 dimerization. Furthermore, CAPN8 protein in Capn9^-/- mice was almost completely lost, whereas CAPN9 was only partially lost in Capn8^-/- mice. Collectively, these results demonstrated that CAPN8 and CAPN9 function as catalytic and chaperone-like subunits, respectively, in G-calpain.

Why Calcium? How Calcium Became the Best Communicator

Calcium carries messages to virtually all important functions of cells. Although it was already active in unicellular organisms, its role became universally important after the transition to multicellular life. In this Minireview, we explore how calcium ended up in this privileged position. Most likely its unique coordination chemistry was a decisive factor as it makes its binding by complex molecules particularly easy even in the presence of large excesses of other cations, e.g. magnesium. Its free concentration within cells can thus be maintained at the very low levels demanded by the signaling function. A large cadre of proteins has evolved to bind or transport calcium. They all contribute to buffer it within cells, but a number of them also decode its message for the benefit of the target. The most important of these "calcium sensors" are the EF-hand proteins. Calcium is an ambivalent messenger. Although essential to the correct functioning of cell processes, if not carefully controlled spatially and temporally within cells, it generates variously severe cell dysfunctions, and even cell death.

Multifaceted Roles of ALG-2 in Ca(2+)-Regulated Membrane Trafficking

ALG-2 (gene name: PDCD6) is a penta-EF-hand Ca²⁺-binding protein and interacts with a variety of proteins in a Ca²⁺-dependent fashion. ALG-2 recognizes different types of identified motifs in Pro-rich regions by using different hydrophobic pockets, but other unknown modes of binding are also used for non-Pro-rich proteins. Most ALG-2-interacting proteins associate directly or indirectly with the plasma membrane or organelle membranes involving the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) system, coat protein complex II (COPII)-dependent ER-to-Golgi vesicular transport, and signal transduction from membrane receptors to downstream players. Binding of ALG-2 to targets may induce conformational change of the proteins. The ALG-2 dimer may also function as a Ca²⁺-dependent adaptor to bridge different partners and connect the subnetwork of interacting proteins.

Sequestration of sorcin by aberrant forms of tau results in the defective calcium homeostasis

Neurofi brillary tangles (NFTs) of microtubule-associated protein tau are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been known to be involved in the pathogenesis of AD. However, the exact role of ER stress in tau pathology has not yet been clearly elucidated. In present study, the possible relationship between tau pathology and ER stress was examined in terms of sorcin, which is a calcium binding protein and plays an important role in calcium homeostasis. Our previous yeast two hybrid study showed that sorcin is a novel tau interacting protein. Caspase-3-cleaved tau (T4C3) showed significantly increased tau-sorcin interaction compared to wild type tau (T4). Thapsigargin-induced ER stress and co-expression of constitutively active GSK3β (GSK3β-S9A) also exhibited significantly increased tau-sorcin interactions. T4C3-expressing cells showed potentiated thapsigargin-induced apoptosis and disruption of intracellular calcium homeostasis compared to T4-expressing cells. Overexpression of sorcin signifi cantly attenuated thapsigargin-induced apoptosis and disruption of calcium homeostasis. In contrary, siRNA-mediated knock-down of sorcin showed significantly increased thapsigargin-induced apoptosis and disruption of calcium homeostasis. These data strongly suggest that sequestration of sorcin by aberrant forms of tau compromises the function of sorcin, such as calcium homeostasis and cellular resistance by ER stress, which may consequently result in the contribution to the progression of AD.

Penta-EF-Hand Protein Peflin Is a Negative Regulator of ER-To-Golgi Transport

Luminal calcium regulates vesicle transport early in the secretory pathway. In ER-to-Golgi transport, depletion of luminal calcium leads to significantly reduced transport and a buildup of budding and newly budded COPII vesicles and vesicle proteins. Effects of luminal calcium on transport may be mediated by cytoplasmic calcium sensors near ER exits sites (ERES). The penta-EF-hand (PEF) protein apoptosis-linked gene 2 (ALG-2) stabilizes sec31A at ER exit sites (ERES) and promotes the assembly of inner and outer shell COPII components. However, in vitro and intact cell approaches have not determined whether ALG-2 is a negative or positive regulator, or a regulator at all, under basal physiological conditions. ALG-2 interacts with another PEF protein, peflin, to form cytosolic heterodimers that dissociate in response to calcium. However, a biological function for peflin has not been demonstrated and whether peflin and the ALG-2/peflin interaction modulates transport has not been investigated. Using an intact, single cell, morphological assay for ER-to-Golgi transport in normal rat kidney (NRK) cells, we found that depletion of peflin using siRNA resulted in significantly faster transport of the membrane cargo VSV-G. Double depletion of peflin and ALG-2 blocked the increased transport resulting from peflin depletion, demonstrating a role for ALG-2 in the increased transport. Furthermore, peflin depletion caused increased targeting of ALG-2 to ERES and increased ALG-2/sec31A interactions, suggesting that peflin may normally inhibit transport by preventing ALG-2/sec31A interactions. This work identifies for the first time a clear steady state role for a PEF protein in ER-to-Golgi transport—peflin is a negative regulator of transport.

Designing proteins to combat disease: Cardiac troponin C as an example

Throughout history, muscle research has led to numerous scientific breakthroughs that have brought insight to a more general understanding of all biological processes. Potentially one of the most influential discoveries was the role of the second messenger calcium and its myriad of handling and sensing systems that mechanistically control muscle contraction. In this review we will briefly discuss the significance of calcium as a universal second messenger along with some of the most common calcium binding motifs in proteins, focusing on the EF-hand. We will also describe some of our approaches to rationally design calcium binding proteins to palliate, or potentially even cure cardiovascular disease. Considering not all failing hearts have the same etiology, genetic background and co-morbidities, personalized therapies will need to be developed. We predict designer proteins will open doors for unprecedented personalized, and potentially, even generalized medicines as gene therapy or protein delivery techniques come to fruition.

Grancalcin (GCA) modulates Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) mediated signaling through its direct interaction with TLR9

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are playing important roles in stimulating the innate immune response and intensifying adaptive immune response against invading pathogens. Appropriate regulation of TLR activation is important to maintain a balance between preventing tumor activation and inhibiting autoimmunity. Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) senses microbial DNA in the endosomes of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and triggers myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88) dependent nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways and type I interferon (IFN) responses. However, mechanisms of how TLR9 signals are mediated and which molecules are involved in controlling TLR9 functions remain poorly understood. Here, we report that penta EF-hand protein grancalcin (GCA) interacts and binds with TLR9 in a yeast two-hybrid system and an overexpression system. Using siRNA-mediated knockdown experiments, we also revealed that GCA positively regulates type I IFN production, cytokine/chemokine production through nuclear localization of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7), NF-κB activation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Our results indicate that heterodimerization of GCA and TLR9 is important for TLR9-mediated downstream signaling and might serve to fine tune processes against viral infection.

Structural basis of Sorcin-mediated calcium-dependent signal transduction

Sorcin is an essential penta-EF hand calcium binding protein, able to confer the multi-drug resistance phenotype to drug-sensitive cancer cells and to reduce Endoplasmic Reticulum stress and cell death. Sorcin silencing blocks cell cycle progression in mitosis and induces cell death by triggering apoptosis. Sorcin participates in the modulation of calcium homeostasis and in calcium-dependent cell signalling in normal and cancer cells. The molecular basis of Sorcin action is yet unknown. The X-ray structures of Sorcin in the apo (apoSor) and in calcium bound form (CaSor) reveal the structural basis of Sorcin action: calcium binding to the EF1-3 hands promotes a large conformational change, involving a movement of the long D-helix joining the EF1-EF2 sub-domain to EF3 and the opening of EF1. This movement promotes the exposure of a hydrophobic pocket, which can accommodate in CaSor the portion of its N-terminal domain displaying the consensus binding motif identified by phage display experiments. This domain inhibits the interaction of sorcin with PDCD6, a protein that carries the Sorcin consensus motif, co-localizes with Sorcin in the perinuclear region of the cell and in the midbody and is involved in the onset of apoptosis.

Differences between calcium-stimulated and storage-induced erythrocyte-derived microvesicles

Microvesicles (MVs), or microparticles, are a complex, dynamic and functional part of cells. Red blood cell (RBC)-derived MVs are naturally produced in vivo (during normal aging processes or in several diseases) as well as ex vivo during cold storage of RBCs, or in vitro by ATP depletion or treatment with Ca(2+) and calcium ionophore. All these MVs are equivalently classified according to their size and/or surface markers. Nevertheless, their content in proteins can differ and a few differences in terms of lipid raft proteins, notably stomatin and flotillin-2, have been reported. Based on two-dimensional gel electrophoreses, the present study highlights the differences between MVs induced during storage of RBCs (storage-MVs) and MVs stimulated by Ca(2+) entry (Ca-MVs). Upon treatment, Ca-MVs are formed following a clear recruitment of Ca(2+)-binding proteins (sorcin, grancalcin, PDCD6) and particularly annexins (4 and 5). Therefore, it emerges that different molecular pathways are available to produce similar MVs by disturbing the membrane/cytoskeleton interactions. Interestingly, these differences provide non-negligible pieces of information on the parent cells, and the mechanisms and modes of actions involved in the formation of MVs. In addition to biophysical characterization, protein analysis is important to classify these cellular corpuscles and evaluate their potential impacts in diseases or transfusion medicine.

Calmodulin of the tropical sea cucumber: Gene structure, inducible expression and contribution to nitric oxide production and pathogen clearance during immune response

Calmodulin (CaM) is an essential second messenger protein that transduces calcium signals by binding calcium ions (Ca(2+)) and modulating its interactions with various target proteins. In contrast to vertebrates, where CaM is well established as a cofactor for Ca(2+)-dependent physiological and cellular functions including host defense, there is a paucity of understanding on CaM in invertebrates (such as echinoderms) in response to immune challenge or microbial infections. In this study, we obtained and described the gene sequence of CaM from the tropical sea cucumber Stichopus monotuberculatus, a promising yet poorly characterized aquacultural species. mRNA expression of StmCaM could be detected in the intestine and coelomic fluid after Vibrio alginolyticus injection. Transcriptional and translational expression of StmCaM was inducible in nature, as evidenced by the expression patterns in primary coelomocytes following Vibrio challenge. This response could be mimicked by the Vibrio cells membrane components or lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and blocked by co-treatment of the LPS-neutralizing agent polymyxin B (PMB). Furthermore, inhibition of CaM activity by incubation with its inhibitor trifluoroperazine dihydrochloride (TFP) blunted the production of Vibrio-induced nitric oxide (NO) and augmented the survival of invading Vibrio in coelomocytes. Collectively, our study here supplied the first evidence for echinoderm CaM participation in innate immunity, and provided a functional link between CaM expression and antibacterial NO production in sea cucumber.