Structural Analysis of the Complex between Penta-EF-Hand ALG-2 Protein and Sec31A Peptide Reveals a Novel Target Recognition Mechanism of ALG-2

ALG-2, a 22-kDa penta-EF-hand protein, is involved in cell death, signal transduction, membrane trafficking, etc., by interacting with various proteins in mammalian cells in a Ca²⁺-dependent manner. Most known ALG-2-interacting proteins contain proline-rich regions in which either PPYPXnYP (type 1 motif) or PXPGF (type 2 motif) is commonly found. Previous X-ray crystal structural analysis of the complex between ALG-2 and an ALIX peptide revealed that the peptide binds to the two hydrophobic pockets. In the present study, we resolved the crystal structure of the complex between ALG-2 and a peptide of Sec31A (outer shell component of coat complex II, COPII; containing the type 2 motif) and found that the peptide binds to the third hydrophobic pocket (Pocket 3). While amino acid substitution of Phe⁸⁵, a Pocket 3 residue, with Ala abrogated the interaction with Sec31A, it did not affect the interaction with ALIX. On the other hand, amino acid substitution of Tyr¹⁸⁰, a Pocket 1 residue, with Ala caused loss of binding to ALIX, but maintained binding to Sec31A. We conclude that ALG-2 recognizes two types of motifs at different hydrophobic surfaces. Furthermore, based on the results of serial mutational analysis of the ALG-2-binding sites in Sec31A, the type 2 motif was newly defined.     

Structural Basis for the Functional Diversity of Centrins: A Focus on Calcium Sensing Properties and Target Recognition

Centrins are a family of small, EF hand-containing proteins that are found in all eukaryotes and are often complexed with centrosome-related structures. Since their discovery, centrins have attracted increasing interest due to their multiple, diverse cellular functions. Centrins are similar to calmodulin (CaM) in size, structure and domain organization, although in contrast to CaM, the majority of centrins possess at least one calcium (Ca²⁺) binding site that is non-functional, thus displaying large variance in Ca²⁺ sensing abilities that could support their functional versatility. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on centrins from both biophysical and structural perspectives with an emphasis on centrin-target interactions. In-depth analysis of the Ca²⁺ sensing properties of centrins and structures of centrins complexed with target proteins can provide useful insight into the mechanisms of the different functions of centrins and how these proteins contribute to the complexity of the Ca²⁺ signaling cascade. Moreover, it can help to better understand the functional redundancy of centrin isoforms and centrin-binding proteins.     

Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase CPK21 Functions in Abiotic Stress Response in Arabidopsis thaliana

Calcium-dependent protein kinases(CDPKs)comprise a family of plant serine/threonine protein kinases in which the calcium sensing domain and the kinase effector domain are combined within one molecule.So far,a biological function in abiotic stress signaling has only been reported for few CDPK isoforms,whereas the underlying biochemical mechanism for these CDPKs is still mainly unknown.Here,we show that CPK21 from Arabidopsis thaliana is biochemically activated in vivo in response to hyperosmotic stress.Loss-of-function seedlings of cpk21 are more tolerant to hyperosmotic stress and mutant plants show increased stress responses with respect to marker gene expression and metabolite accumulation.In transgenic Arabidopsis complementation lines in the cpk21 mutant background,in which either CPK21 wildtype,or a full-length enzyme variant carrying an amino-acid substitution were stably expressed,stress responsitivity was restored by CPK21 but not with the kinase inactive variant.The biochemical characterization of in planta synthesized and purified CPK21 protein revealed that within the calcium-binding domain,N-terminal EF1- and EF2-motifs compared to C-terminal EF3- and EF4-motifs differ in their contribution to calcium-regulated kinase activity,suggesting a crucial role for the N-terminal EF-hand pair.Our data provide evidence for CPK21 contributing in abiotic stress signaling and suggest that the N-terminal EF-hand pair is a calcium-sensing determinant controlling specificity of CPK21 function.