The carboxyterminal EF domain of erythroid alpha-spectrin is necessary for optimal spectrin-actin binding.

Spectrin and protein 4.1R crosslink F-actin, forming the membrane skeleton. Actin and 4.1R bind to one end of ß-spectrin. The adjacent end of α-spectrin, called the EF domain, is calmodulin-like, with calcium-dependent and calcium-independent EF hands. The severely anemic sph(1J)/sph(1J) mouse has very fragile red cells and lacks the last 13 amino acids in the EF domain, implying that the domain is critical for skeletal integrity. To test this, we constructed a minispectrin heterodimer from the actin-binding domain, the EF domain, and 4 adjacent spectrin repeats in each chain. The minispectrin bound to F-actin in the presence of native human protein 4.1R. Formation of the spectrin-actin-4.1R complex was markedly attenuated when the minispectrin contained the shortened sph(1J) α-spectrin. The α-spectrin deletion did not interfere with spectrin heterodimer assembly or 4.1R binding but abolished the binary interaction between spectrin and F-actin. The data show that the α-spectrin EF domain greatly amplifies the function of the ß-spectrin actin-binding domain (ABD) in forming the spectrin-actin-4.1R complex. A model, based on the structure of α-actinin, suggests that the EF domain modulates the function of the ABD and that the C-terminal EF hands (EF(34)) may bind to the linker that connects the ABD to the first spectrin repeat.

Protein 4.2 binds to the carboxyl-terminal EF-hands of erythroid alpha-spectrin in a calcium- and calmodulin-dependent manner.

Spectrin and protein 4.1 cross-link F-actin protofilaments into a network called the membrane skeleton. Actin and 4.1 bind to one end of beta-spectrin. The adjacent end of alpha-spectrin, called the EF-domain, is calmodulin-like, with calcium-dependent and calcium-independent EF-hands. It has no known function. However, the sph(1J)/sph(1J) mouse has very fragile red cells and lacks the last 13 amino acids in the EF-domain, suggesting the domain is critical for skeletal integrity. Using pulldown binding assays, we find the alpha-spectrin EF-domain either alone or incorporated into a mini-spectrin binds native and recombinant protein 4.2 at a previously identified region of 4.2 (G(3) peptide). Native 4.2 binds with an affinity comparable with other membrane skeletal interactions (K(d) = 0.30 microM). EF-domains bearing the sph(1J) mutation are inactive. Binding of protein 4.2 to band 3 (K(d) = 0.45 microM) does not interfere with the spectrin-4.2 interaction. Spectrin-4.2 binding is amplified by micromolar concentrations of Ca(2+) (but not Mg(2+)) by three to five times. Calmodulin also binds to the EF-domain (K(d) = 17 microM), and Ca(2+)-calmodulin blocks Ca(2+)-dependent binding of protein 4.2 but not Ca(2+)-independent binding. The data suggest that protein 4.2 is located near protein 4.1 at the spectrin-actin junctions. Because proteins 4.1 and 4.2 also bind to band 3, the erythrocyte anion channel, we suggest that one or both of these proteins cause a portion of band 3 to localize near the spectrin-actin junctions and provide another point of attachment between the membrane skeleton and the lipid bilayer.