Amino acid residues 489-503 of dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) ?1a subunit are critical for structural communication between the skeletal muscle DHPR complex and type 1 ryanodine receptor.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: The ?1a subunit is a cytoplasmic component of the dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) complex that plays an essential role in skeletal muscle excitation-contraction (EC) coupling. Here we investigate the role of the C-terminal end of this auxiliary subunit in the functional and structural communication between the DHPR and the Ca(2+) release channel (RyR1). Progressive truncation of the ?1a C terminus showed that deletion of amino acid residues Gln(489) to Trp(503) resulted in a loss of depolarization-induced Ca(2+) release, a severe reduction of L-type Ca(2+) currents, and a lack of tetrad formation as evaluated by freeze-fracture analysis. However, deletion of this domain did not affect expression/targeting or density (Qmax) of the DHPR-?1S subunit to the plasma membrane. Within this motif, triple alanine substitution of residues Leu(496), Leu(500), and Trp(503), which are thought to mediate direct ?1a-RyR1 interactions, weakened EC coupling but did not replicate the truncated phenotype. Therefore, these data demonstrate that an amino acid segment encompassing sequence (489)QVQVLTSLRRNLSFW(503) of ?1a contains critical determinant(s) for the physical link of DHPR and RyR1, further confirming a direct correspondence between DHPR positioning and DHPR/RyR functional interactions. In addition, our data strongly suggest that the motif Leu(496)-Leu(500)-Trp(503) within the ?1a C-terminal tail plays a nonessential role in the bidirectional DHPR/RyR1 signaling that supports skeletal-type EC coupling.
SUBMITTER: Eltit JM
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4276875 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
ACCESS DATA