Proteins exist in ensembles of conformational states that interconvert on various motional time scales. High-energy states of proteins, often referred to as conformationally excited states, are sparsely populated and have been found to play an essential role in many biological functions. However, detecting these states is quite difficult for conventional structural techniques. Recent progress in solution NMR spectroscopy made it possible to detect conformationally excited states in soluble proteins and characterize them at high resolution. As for soluble proteins, integral or membrane-associated proteins populate different structural states often modulated by their lipid environment. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is the method of choice to study membrane proteins, as it can detect both ground and excited states in their natural lipid environments. In this work, we apply newly developed H-detectedN-HSQC type experiments under moderate magic angle spinning speeds to detect the conformationally excited states of phospholamban (PLN), a single-pass cardiac membrane protein that regulates Ca transport across sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane. In its unbound state, the cytoplasmic domain of PLN exists in equilibrium between a T state, which is membrane bound and helical, and an R state, which is membrane detached and unfolded. The R state is important for regulation of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase, but also for binding to protein kinase A. By hybridizing H detected solution and solid-state NMR techniques, it is possible to detect and resolve the amide resonances of the R state of PLN in liquid crystalline lipid bilayers. These new methods can be used to study the conformationally excited states of membrane proteins in native-like lipid bilayers.

Phospholamban (PLN) is a single-pass membrane protein that regulates the sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA). Phosphorylation of PLN at Ser16 reverses its inhibitory function under β-adrenergic stimulation, augmenting Ca2+ uptake in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and muscle contractility. PLN exists in two conformations; a T state, where the cytoplasmic domain is helical and absorbed on the membrane surface, and an R state, where the cytoplasmic domain is unfolded and membrane detached. Previous studies from our group have shown that the PLN conformational equilibrium is crucial to SERCA regulation. Here, we used a combination of solution and solid-state NMR techniques to compare the structural topology and conformational dynamics of monomeric PLN (PLNAFA) with that of the PLNR14del, a naturally occurring deletion mutant that is linked to the progression of dilated cardiomyopathy. We found that the behavior of the inhibitory transmembrane domain of PLNR14del is similar to that of the native sequence. In contrast, the conformational dynamics of R14del both in micelles and lipid membranes are enhanced. We conclude that the deletion of Arg14 in the cytoplasmic region weakens the interactions with the membrane and shifts the conformational equilibrium of PLN toward the disordered R state. This conformational transition is correlated with the loss-of-function character of this mutant and is corroborated by SERCA’s activity assays. These findings further support our hypothesis that SERCA function is fine-tuned by PLN conformational dynamics and begin to explain the aberrant regulation of SERCA by the R14del mutant.

The formalin test is the most widely used behavioral screening test for analgesic compounds. The cellular mechanism of action of formaldehyde, inducing a typically biphasic pain-related behavior in rodents is addressed in this study. The chemoreceptor channel TRPA1 was suggested as primary transducer, but the high concentrations used in the formalin test elicit a similar response in TRPA1 wildtype and knockout animals. Here we show that formaldehyde evokes a dose-dependent calcium release from intracellular stores in mouse sensory neurons and primary keratinocytes as well as in non-neuronal cell lines, and independent of TRPA1. The source of calcium is the endoplasmatic reticulum and inhibition of the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum calcium-ATPase has a major contribution. This TRPA1-independent mechanism may underlie formaldehyde-induced pan-neuronal excitation and subsequent inflammation.

The membrane protein complex between sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and phospholamban (PLN) is a prime therapeutic target for reversing cardiac contractile dysfunctions caused by calcium mishandling. So far, however, efforts to develop drugs specific for this protein complex have failed. Here, we show that non-coding RNAs and single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs) interact with and regulate the function of the SERCA/PLN complex in a tunable manner. Both in HEK cells expressing the SERCA/PLN complex, as well as in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum preparations, these short oligonucleotides bind and reverse PLN’s inhibitory effects on SERCA, increasing the ATPase’s apparent Ca2+ affinity. Solid-state NMR experiments revealed that ssDNA interacts with PLN specifically, shifting the conformational equilibrium of the SERCA/PLN complex from an inhibitory to a non-inhibitory state. Importantly, we achieved rheostatic control of SERCA function by modulating the length of ssDNAs. Since restoration of Ca2+ flux to physiological levels represents a viable therapeutic avenue for cardiomyopathies, our results suggest that oligonucleotide-based drugs could be used to fine-tune SERCA function to counterbalance the extent of the pathological insults.

The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca 2؉ -ATPase (SERCA) and phospholamban (PLN) complex regulates heart relaxation through its removal of cytosolic Ca 2؉ during diastole. Dysfunction of this complex has been related to many heart disorders and is therefore a key pharmacological target. There are currently no therapeutics that directly target either SERCA or PLN. It has been previously reported that single-stranded DNA binds PLN with strong affinity and relieves inhibition of SERCA in a length-dependent manner. In the current article, we demonstrate that RNAs and single-stranded oligonucleotide analogs, or xeno nucleic acids (XNAs), also bind PLN strongly (K d <10 nM) and relieve inhibition of SERCA. Affinity for PLN is sequence-independent. Relief of PLN inhibition is length-dependent, allowing SERCA activity to be restored incrementally. The improved in vivo stability of XNAs offers more realistic pharmacological potential than DNA or RNA. We also found that microRNAs (miRNAs) 1 and 21 bind PLN strongly and relieve PLN inhibition of SERCA to a greater extent than a similar length random sequence RNA mixture. This may suggest that miR-1 and miR-21 have evolved to contain distinct sequence elements that are more effective at relieving PLN inhibition than random sequences.Calcium cycling in cardiomyocytes is a tightly regulated process that ensures proper muscle contractility (1, 2). Many of the proteins involved in this cycle have been implicated in cardiac failure, the leading cause of death world-wide (3, 4). Given the complexity of heart failure phenotypes, strategies for reversing declining cardiac performance are diverse and necessary. Gene therapy efforts for inherited forms of heart disease have been growing, but with the recent failure of the Calcium Upregulation by Percutaneous Administration of Gene Therapy in Cardiac Disease (CUPID) trials, drug development targeting specific proteins remains an essential, complimentary effort (5-7). A therapeutic that is tunable to specific phenotypes would be ideal for reversing aberrant calcium cycling.The sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca 2ϩ -ATPase (SERCA) 3 is an essential Ca 2ϩ -handling protein that removes Ca 2ϩ ions from the cytosol, causing the heart muscle to relax. SERCA is a P-type ATPase, which in human cardiomyocytes is responsible for the removal of ϳ70% of Ca 2ϩ from the cytosol (8). This process, coupled with other Ca 2ϩ transport mechanisms, lowers the cytosolic Ca 2ϩ concentration enough to allow for muscle relaxation (diastole) (1). Phospholamban (PLN) is a 52-amino acid, single-pass transmembrane protein that inhibits SERCA when not phosphorylated by lowering its apparent calcium affinity and hampering Ca 2ϩ transport into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (9, 10). Upon ␤-adrenergic stimulation, protein kinase A (PKA) will phosphorylate PLN at Ser-16, restoring the apparent calcium affinity and Ca 2ϩ transport of SERCA (11). We previously reported that random sequence, singlestranded DNA and RNA bind to PLN with high affinity (K d Ͻ 10 nM), and more import...

Nucleic acid -protein interactions are critical for regulating gene activation in the nucleus. In the cytoplasm, however, potential nucleic acid-protein functional interactions are less clear. The emergence of a large and expanding number of non-coding RNAs and DNA fragments raises the possibility that the cytoplasmic nucleic acids may interact with cytoplasmic cellular components to directly alter key biological processes within the cell. We now show that both natural and synthetic nucleic acids, collectively XNAs, when introduced to the cytoplasm of live cell cardiac myocytes, markedly enhance contractile function via a mechanism that is independent of new translation, activation of the TLR-9 pathway or by altered intracellular Ca 2+ cycling. Findings show a steep XNA oligo length-dependence, but not sequence dependence or nucleic acid moiety dependence, for cytoplasmic XNAs to hasten myocyte relaxation. XNAs localized to the sarcomere in a striated pattern and bound the cardiac troponin regulatory complex with high affinity in an electrostaticdependent manner. Mechanistically, XNAs phenocopy PKA-based modified troponin to cause faster relaxation. Collectively, these data support a new role for cytoplasmic nucleic acids in directly modulating live cell cardiac performance and raise the possibility that cytoplasmic nucleic acid -protein interactions may alter functionally relevant pathways in other cell types.

To characterize the stoichiometry of interacting single-pass membrane proteins, we are establishing a novel method based on Förster resonance energy transfer between identical fluorophores (homo-FRET). In order to allow the rapid bacterial expression and the purification of a wide range of fluorophore-coupled TM helices, we have developed TM fusion proteins with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and affinity tags. The measured homo-FRET (via steady-state anisotropy) is proportional to both the affinity of the helices and the oligomerization state. Using only a fluorescence microplate reader, we demonstrate significant homo-FRET-coupling for GFP fusion proteins. Theoretical studies have shown that gradual photobleaching should yield a pattern of polarization that depends on the oligomerization state. High-profile experimental studies have confirmed this in-vivo using advanced microscopy. We show for the first time that the ''fingerprint''-like curves after laser photobleaching can be achieved in-vitro with relatively simple equipment, allowing us to differentiate between oligomerization states. This demonstrates the feasibility of a rapid homo-FRET assay to determine the stoichiometry of transmembrane proteins in liposomes.

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