Do Src Kinase and Caveolin Interact Directly with Na,K-ATPase?

Much evidence points to a role of Na,K-ATPase in ouabain-dependent signal transduction. Based on experiments with different cell lines and native tissue membranes, a current hypothesis postulates direct interactions between the Na,K-ATPase and Src kinase (non-receptor tyrosine kinase). Na,K-ATPase is proposed to bind Src kinase and inhibit its activity, whereas ouabain, the specific Na,K-ATPase inhibitor, binds and stabilizes the E2 conformation, thus exposing the Src kinase domain and its active site Tyr-418 for activation. Ouabain-dependent signaling is thought to be mediated within caveolae by a complex consisting of Na,K-ATPase, caveolin, and Src kinase. In the current work, we have looked for direct interactions utilizing purified recombinant Na,K-ATPase (human α1ß1FXYD1 or porcine α1D369Nß1FXYD1) and purified human Src kinase and human caveolin 1 or interactions between these proteins in native membrane vesicles isolated from rabbit kidney. By several independent criteria and techniques, no stable interactions were detected between Na,K-ATPase and purified Src kinase. Na,K-ATPase was found to be a substrate for Src kinase phosphorylation at Tyr-144. Clear evidence for a direct interaction between purified human Na,K-ATPase and human caveolin was obtained, albeit with a low molar stoichiometry (1:15-30 caveolin 1/Na,K-ATPase). In native renal membranes, a specific caveolin 14-5 oligomer (95 kDa) was found to be in direct interaction with Na,K-ATPase. We inferred that a small fraction of the renal Na,K-ATPase molecules is in a ∼1:1 complex with a caveolin 14-5 oligomer. Thus, overall, whereas a direct caveolin 1/Na,K-ATPase interaction is confirmed, the lack of direct Src kinase/Na,K-ATPase binding requires reassessment of the mechanism of ouabain-dependent signaling.

Computational design of calmodulin mutants with up to 900-fold increase in binding specificity.

Calmodulin (CaM) is a ubiquitous second messenger protein that regulates a variety of structurally and functionally diverse targets in response to changes in Ca(2+) concentration. CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and calcineurin (CaN) are the prominent CaM targets that play an opposing role in many cellular functions including synaptic regulation. Since CaMKII and CaN compete for the available Ca(2+)/CaM, the differential affinity of these enzymes for CaM is crucial for achieving a balance in Ca(2+) signaling. We used the computational protein design approach to modify CaM binding specificity for these two targets. Starting from the X-ray structure of CaM in complex with the CaM-binding domain of CaMKII, we optimized CaM interactions with CaMKII by introducing mutations into the CaM sequence. CaM optimization was performed with a protein design program, ORBIT, using a modified energy function that emphasized intermolecular interactions in the sequence selection procedure. Several CaM variants were experimentally constructed and tested for binding to the CaMKII and CaN peptides using the surface plasmon resonance technique. Most of our CaM mutants demonstrated small increase in affinity for the CaMKII peptide and substantial decrease in affinity for the CaN peptide compared to that of wild-type CaM. Our best CaM design exhibited an about 900-fold increase in binding specificity towards the CaMKII peptide, becoming the highest specificity switch achieved in any protein-protein interface through the computational protein design approach. Our results show that computational redesign of protein-protein interfaces becomes a reliable method for altering protein binding affinity and specificity.