Structure-dynamic basis of splicing-dependent regulation in tissue-specific variants of the sodium-calcium exchanger

Tissue-specific splice variants of Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchangers contain 2 Ca(2+)-binding regulatory domains (CBDs), CBD1 and CBD2. Ca(2+) interaction with CBD1 activates sodium-calcium exchangers (NCXs), and Ca(2+) binding to CBD2 alleviates Na(+)-dependent inactivation. A combination of mutually exclusive (A, B) and cassette (C-F) exons in CBD2 raises functionally diverse splice variants through unknown mechanisms. Here, the effect of exons on CBDs backbone dynamics were investigated in the 2-domain tandem (CBD12) of the brain, kidney, and cardiac splice variants by using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and stopped-flow techniques. Mutually exclusive exons stabilize interdomain interactions in the apoprotein, which primarily predefines the extent of responses to Ca(2+) binding. Deuterium uptake levels were up to 20% lower in the cardiac vs. the brain CBD12, reveling that elongation of the CBD2 FG loop by cassette exons rigidifies the interdomain Ca(2+) salt bridge at the 2-domain interface, which secondarily modulates the Ca(2+)-bound states. In matching splice variants, the extent of Ca(2+)-induced rigidification correlates with decreased (up to 10-fold) Ca(2+) off rates, where the cardiac CBD12 exhibits the slowest Ca(2+) off rates. Collectively, structurally disordered/dynamic segments at mutually exclusive and cassette exons have local and distant effects on the folded structures nearby the Ca(2+) binding sites, which may serve as a structure-dynamic basis for splicing-dependent regulation of NCX.