Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis of calpain II interactions with calcium and calmodulin antagonists

1. The intrinsic fluorescence of epoxysuccinyl-inhibited calpain II undergoes a Ca2(+)-dependent decrease which contrasts with the increase observed for calmodulin. 2. Calpain II was inhibited by the calmodulin antagonist toluidinylnaphthalenesulfonate (TNS), and a Ca2(+)-dependent increase in TNS fluorescence intensity was observed for epoxysuccinyl-inhibited calpain II. 3. The calmodulin antagonists calmidazolium CDZ and felodipine both caused decreases in the intrinsic fluorescence of epoxysuccinyl-inhibited calpain II. 4. Increasing concentrations of Ca2+ caused an increase in the fluorescence intensity of the inhibited enzyme in the presence of (CDZ), and a decrease in the presence of felodipine. 5. It is concluded from these studies that Ca2+ and calmodulin antagonists induce conformational changes in calpain II, and that changes occur in regions other than the Ca2(+)-binding domains.