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Structure-function of the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

ABSTRACT: Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase (CaMKII) is a ubiquitous mediator of Ca2+-linked signalling that phosphorylates a wide range of substrates to co-ordinate and regulate Ca2+-mediated alterations in cellular function. The transmission of information by the kinase from extracellular stimuli and the intracellular Ca2+ rise is not passive. Rather, its multimeric structure and autoregulation enable this enzyme to participate actively in the sensitivity, timing and location of its action. CaMKII can: (i) be activated in a Ca2+-spike frequency-dependent manner; (ii) become independent of its initial Ca2+/CaM activators; and (iii) undergo a 'molecular switch-like' behaviour, which is crucial for certain forms of learning and memory. CaMKII is derived from a family of four homologous but distinct genes, with over 30 alternatively spliced isoforms described at present. These isoforms possess diverse developmental and anatomical expression patterns, as well as subcellular localization. Six independent catalytic/autoregulatory domains are connected by a narrow stalk-like appendage to each hexameric ring within the dodecameric structure. Ca2+/CaM binding activates the enzyme by disinhibiting the autoregulatory domain; this process initiates an intra-holoenzyme autophosphorylation reaction that induces complex changes in the enzyme's sensitivity to Ca2+/CaM, including the generation of Ca2+/CaM-independent (autonomous) activity and marked increase in affinity for CaM. The role of CaMKII in Ca2+ signal transduction is shaped by its autoregulation, isoenzymic type and subcellular localization. The molecular determinants and mechanisms producing these processes are discussed as they relate to the structure-function of this multifunctional protein kinase.

SUBMITTER: Hudmon A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1222606 | biostudies-other | 2002 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:During the acquisition of memories, influx of Ca2+ into the postsynaptic spine through the pores of activated N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptors triggers processes that change the strength of excitatory synapses. The pattern of Ca2+influx during the first few seconds of activity is interpreted within the Ca2+-dependent signaling network such that synaptic strength is eventually either potentiated or depressed. Many of the critical signaling enzymes that control synaptic plasticity,including Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), are regulated by calmodulin, a small protein that can bindup to 4 Ca2+ ions. As a first step toward clarifying how the Ca2+-signaling network decides between potentiation or depression, we have created a kinetic model of the interactions of Ca2+, calmodulin, and CaMKII that represents our best understanding of the dynamics of these interactions under conditions that resemble those in a postsynaptic spine. We constrained parameters of the model from data in the literature, or from our own measurements, and then predicted time courses of activation and autophosphorylation of CaMKII under a variety of conditions. Simulations showed that species of calmodulin with fewer than four bound Ca2+ play a significant role in activation of CaMKII in the physiological regime,supporting the notion that processing of Ca2+ signals in a spine involves competition among target enzymes for binding to unsaturated species of CaM in an environment in which the concentration of Ca2+ is fluctuating rapidly. Indeed, we showed that dependence of activation on the frequency of Ca2+ transients arises from the kinetics of interaction of fluctuating Ca2+with calmodulin/CaMKII complexes. We used parameter sensitivity analysis to identify which parameters will be most beneficial to measure more carefully to improve the accuracy of predictions. This model provides a quantitative base from which to build more complex dynamic models of postsynaptic signal transduction during learning.

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Structure-function of the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II.

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