The role of beta-sheet interactions in domain stability, folding, and target recognition reactions of calmodulin

Single-residue mutations have been made of the hydrophobic Ile or Val residue in position 8 of each of the four calcium-binding loop sequences (sites I-IV) of Drosophila calmodulin. These highly conserved residues are part of the hydrophobic core of either calmodulin domain and are involved in the structural link of two calcium-binding sites via a short antiparallel beta-sheet. In the apo-form, the replacement of Ile (or Val) by Gly causes a significant destabilization, shown by the unfolding of the secondary structure of the domain carrying the mutation. In the presence of calcium, the deficiency in alpha-helical structure at 20 degrees C is restored for the mutants at site I, II, or III but not at site IV, which requires the further binding of a high-affinity target peptide to re-establish the native conformation. The extent of the destabilization is seen in the depression of the melting temperature of individual domains, which can be as large as 80 degrees C in the case of Ca4-CaM(V136G). However, because of low values of the unfolding enthalpy for calmodulin domains, only relatively low values of <2 kcal/mol are implied for DeltaDeltaG, the free energy of destabilization due to mutation. Consistent with this, the secondary structure of any unfolded mutant domain is highly sensitive to solvent composition and is largely refolded in the presence of 12.5% (v/v) aqueous trifluoroethanol. Compared to wild-type calmodulin, the affinities of the mutants for calcium and target peptides from sk-MLCK at 20 degrees C are significantly reduced but the effects are relatively small. These results indicate that the conformation of calmodulin can be dramatically altered by mutation of a single highly conserved residue but that changes in solvent or the binding of a target sequence can readily compensate for this, restoring the wild-type properties. The results also suggest that the integrity of both the apo- and holo-forms of calmodulin is important for the maintenance of its biological function and confirm the importance of conserving the structural function of the residues involved in the beta-sheet interactions.