Immuno-identification of Ca2+-induced conformational changes in human gelsolin and brevin

Gelsolin is a 90,000-mol-wt protein with two actin and two high affinity calcium-binding sites that can form complexes with Ca2+ ions and monomeric actin. These complexes will nucleate filament growth and cap the barbed end of filaments, but will not fragment F-actin. Uncomplexed gelsolin severs F-actin. (Bryan, J., and L. M. Coluccio, 1985, J. Cell Biol., 101:1236-1244). These associations with actin are modulated by Ca2+. We have purified and characterized monoclonal antibodies that recognize Ca2+-induced conformational changes in human platelet gelsolin (G) and human plasma brevin (B), a closely related protein. Two hybridomas, 8G5 and 4F8, were adapted to growth in serum-free medium. 8G5 was found to secrete an IgG; 4F8 secretes an IgA. On immunoblots, both antibodies gave a strong reaction if Ca2+ was present, but gave barely detectable reactions if EGTA was used. 8G5 IgG-Sepharose columns retained gelsolin (as GCa2) or brevin (as BCa2) in 0.1 mM CaCl2 containing buffers, but released these molecules when eluted with 4 mM EGTA. 8G5 IgG-Sepharose columns also retained gelsolin-actin-Ca2+ complexes, as GA1Ca2 or higher oligomers from platelet extracts containing 0.1 mM CaCl2. Elution with 4 mM EGTA released material that gel filtration showed to be the EGTA-stable 130,000-mol-wt gelsolin-actin complex, GA1Ca1. The results demonstrate that the 8G5 IgG recognizes a conformation of gelsolin or brevin induced by binding of an easily exchangeable Ca2+ ion. Actin is not required for this conformational change, and the antibody discriminates, for example, GCa2 from G and GCa1. A 4F8 IgA-Sepharose column retained brevin or gelsolin in 0.1 mM CaCl2-containing buffers, but, like the 8G5 IgG, released these molecules when eluted with 4 mM EGTA. The 4F8 IgA column also retained gelsolin or brevin-actin-Ca2+ complexes, for example, as BA1Ca2, or higher oligomers, in 0.1 mM CaCl2. No protein was recovered, however, upon elution with 4 mM EGTA, but elution with 0.1 M glycine-HCl, pH 2.8, released bound brevin or gelsolin and actin. Similarly, preformed brevin-actin-Ca2+ complex, equilibrated with EGTA, was retained by 4F8 IgA-Sepharose. The results demonstrate that the 4F8 IgA recognizes a conformation of gelsolin or brevin that is maintained and presumably induced by binding of a nonexchangeable Ca2+ ion that is trapped in the complex.