title: Construction and characterization of a spectral probe mutant of troponin C: application to analyses of mutants with increased Ca2+ affinity.
abstract: A spectral probe mutant (F29W) of chicken skeletal muscle troponin C (TnC) has been prepared in which Phe-29 has been substituted by Trp. Residue 29 is at the COOH-terminal end of the A helix immediately adjacent to the Ca2+ binding loop of site I (residues 30-41) of the regulatory N domain. Since this protein is naturally devoid of Tyr and Trp, spectral features can be assigned unambiguously to the single Trp. The fluorescent quantum yield at 336 nm is increased almost 3-fold in going from the Ca(2+)-free state to the 4Ca2+ state with no change in the wavelength of maximum emission. Comparisons of the Ca2+ titration curves of the change in far-UV CD and fluorescence emission indicated that the latter was associated only with the binding of 2Ca2+ to the regulatory sites I and II. No change in fluorescence was detected by titration with Mg2+. The Ca(2+)-induced transitions of both the N and C domains were highly cooperative. Addition of Ca2+ also produced a red shift in the UV absorbance spectrum and a reduction in positive ellipticity as monitored by near-UV CD measurements. The fluorescent properties of F29W were applied to an investigation of five double mutants: F29W/V45T, F29W/M46Q, F29W/M48A, F29W/L49T, and F29W/M82Q. Ca2+ titration of their fluorescent emissions indicated in each case an increased Ca2+ affinity of their N domains. The magnitude of these changes and the decreased cooperativity observed between Ca2+ binding sites I and II for some of the mutants are discussed in terms of the environment of the mutated residues in the 2Ca2+ and modeled 4Ca2+ states.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Pearlstone
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Borgford
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oikawa
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Herzberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moult
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herklotz
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Reinach
authors.forename: L B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Smillie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D002645:Chickens; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D008958:Models, Molecular; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009154:Mutation; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012995:Solubility; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014336:Troponin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D019209:Troponin C; D014364:Tryptophan
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D014336:Troponin; D019209:Troponin C; D014364:Tryptophan; D002118:Calcium