title: A novel EF-hand protein, CRACR2A, is a cytosolic Ca2+ sensor that stabilizes CRAC channels in T cells.
abstract: Orai1 and STIM1 are critical components of Ca(2+) release-activated Ca(2+) (CRAC) channels that mediate store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) in immune cells. Although it is known that Orai1 and STIM1 co-cluster and physically interact to mediate SOCE, the cytoplasmic machinery modulating these functions remains poorly understood. We sought to find modulators of Orai1 and STIM1 using affinity protein purification and identified a novel EF-hand protein, CRACR2A (also called CRAC regulator 2A, EFCAB4B or FLJ33805). We show that CRACR2A interacts directly with Orai1 and STIM1, forming a ternary complex that dissociates at elevated Ca(2+) concentrations. Studies using knockdown mediated by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and mutagenesis show that CRACR2A is important for clustering of Orai1 and STIM1 upon store depletion. Expression of an EF-hand mutant of CRACR2A enhanced STIM1 clustering, elevated cytoplasmic Ca(2+) and induced cell death, suggesting its active interaction with CRAC channels. These observations implicate CRACR2A, a novel Ca(2+) binding protein that is highly expressed in T cells and conserved in vertebrates, as a key regulator of CRAC channel-mediated SOCE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Sonal
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srikanth
authors.forename: Hea-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kyun-Do
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Puneet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Souda
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whitelegge
authors.forename: Yousang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gwack
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D003600:Cytosol; D020832:EF Hand Motifs; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D000071740:ORAI1 Protein; D055550:Protein Stability; D000071737:Stromal Interaction Molecule 1; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C551025:CRACR2A protein, human; D015220:Calcium Channels; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000071740:ORAI1 Protein; C510746:ORAI1 protein, human; C103530:STIM1 protein, human; D000071737:Stromal Interaction Molecule 1; D002118:Calcium