ABSTRACT
Troponin C is the Ca2+-binding subunit of the troponin complex and is involved in the calcium control of muscle contraction. The X-ray structure of chicken TnC has been determined at 3Å resolution using a single heavy atom derivative and application of a novel phase improvement and phase extension procedure. The protein has an unusual dumbbellshape with a length of about 70A. The N- and C-domains are connected by a single long α-helix of about 9 turns. Two metal binding sites (the Ca2+ -Mg2+ sites) in the C-domain are occupied by metal ions in the crystals and the helix-loop-helix Ca2+ -binding folds are very similar to those in other known Ca2+ -binding proteins. In contrast, the Ca2+ -specific sites in the N-domain appear unoccupied and the two putative Ca2+ -binding folds have a vastly different structural arrangement. The conformational rearrangements in the N-domain upon Ca2+ binding are believed to be the trigger for a cascade of protein-protein interaction alterations which lead to muscle contraction.