Calmodulin (CaM) is a highly conserved calcium-binding protein consisting of two homologous domains, each of which contains two EF-hands, that is known to bind well over 300 proteins and peptides. In most cases the (Ca2+)4-form of CaM leads to the activation of a key regulatory enzyme or protein in a myriad of biological processes. Using the nitroxide spin-labeling reagent, 3-(2-iodoacetamido)-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrrolidinyl oxyl, bovine brain CaM was modified at 2-3 methionines with retention of activity as judged by the activation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase. X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy was used to measure the spectral changes upon addition of Ca2+ to the apo-form of spin-labeled protein. A significant loss of spectral intensity, arising primarily from reductions in the heights of the low, intermediate, and high field peaks, accompanied Ca2+ binding. The midpoint of the Ca2+-mediated transition determined by EPR occurred at a higher Ca2+ concentration than that measured with circular dichroic spectroscopy and enzyme activation. Recent data have indicated that the transition from the apo-state of CaM to the fully saturated form, [Ca2+)4-CaM], contains a compact intermediate corresponding to [Ca2+)2-CaM], and the present results suggest that the spin probes are reporting on Ca2+ binding to the last two sites in the N-terminal domain, i.e. for the [Ca2+)2-CaM] → [Ca2+)4-CaM] transition in which the compact structure becomes more extended. EPR of CaM, spin-labeled at methionines, offers a different approach for studying Ca2+-mediated conformational changes and may emerge as a useful technique for monitoring interactions with target proteins.

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