title: Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent activation and inactivation mechanisms of alphaCaMKII and phospho-Thr286-alphaCaMKII.
abstract: Thr(286) autophosphorylation is important for the role of alphaCaMKII in learning and memory. Phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII has been described to have two types of activity: Ca(2+)-independent partial activity and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-activated full activity. We investigated the mechanism of switching between the two activities in order to relate them to the physiological functioning of alphaCaMKII. Using a fluorometric coupled enzyme assay and smooth muscle myosin light chain (MLC) as substrate, we found that (1) Ca(2+)-independent activity of phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII represents 5.0 (+/-3.7)% of the activity measured in the presence of optimal concentrations of Ca(2+) and calmodulin and (2) Ca(2+) in the presence of calmodulin activates the enzyme with a K(m) of 137 (+/-56) nM and a Hill coefficient n = 1.8 (+/-0.3). In contrast, unphosphorylated alphaCaMKII has a K(m) for Ca(2+) in the presence of calmodulin of 425 (+/-119) nM and a Hill coefficient n = 5.4 (+/-0.4). Thus, the activity of phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII is essentially Ca(2+)/calmodulin dependent with MLC as substrate. In physiological terms, our data suggest that alphaCaMKII is only activated in stimulated neurones whereas Ca(2+)/calmodulin activation of phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII can occur in resting cells (approximately 100 nM [Ca(2+)]). Stopped-flow experiments using Ca(2+)/TA-cal [Ca(2+)/2-chloro-(epsilon-amino-Lys(75))-[6-[4-(N,N-diethylamino)phenyl]-1,3,5-triazin-4-yl]calmodulin] showed that at 100 nM [Ca(2+)] partially Ca(2+)-saturated Ca(2+)/cal.phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII complexes existed. These are likely to account for the activity of the phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII enzyme at resting [Ca(2+)]. Ca(2+) dissociation measurements by a fluorescent Ca(2+) chelator revealed that the limiting Ca(2+) dissociation rate constants were 1.5 s(-1) from the Ca(2+)/cal.alphaCaMKII and 0.023 s(-1) from the Ca(2+)/cal.phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII complex, accounting for the differences in the Ca(2+) sensitivities of the Ca(2+)/cal.alphaCaMKII and Ca(2+)/cal.phospho-Thr(286)-alphaCaMKII enzymes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London SW17 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tzortzopoulos
authors.forename: Sabine L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Best
authors.forename: Dimitra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kalamida
authors.forename: Katalin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Török
mesh_terms: D000634:Aminoquinolines / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D018994:Myosin Light Chains / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D013552:Swine; D013912:Threonine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000634:Aminoquinolines; D002147:Calmodulin; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D018994:Myosin Light Chains; D013912:Threonine; D054732:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinase Type 2; D017871:Calcium-Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases; C035739:Quin2; D002118:Calcium