New determinant for the Cavβ2 subunit modulation of the Cav1.2 calcium channel

Abstract

Cavβ subunits support voltage gating of Cav1.2 calcium channels and play important role in excitation-contraction coupling. The common central membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) region of Ca vβ binds to the α-interaction domain (AID) and the IQ motif of the pore-forming α1C subunit, but these two interactions do not explain why the cardiac Cavβ2 subunit splice variants differentially modulate inactivation of Ca2+ currents (ICa). Previously we described β2Δg, a functionally active splice variant of human Cavβ2 lacking MAGUK. By deletion analysis of β2Δg, we have now identified a 41-amino acid C-terminal essential determinant (β 2CED) that stimulates ICa in the absence of Ca vβ subunits and conveys a +20-mV shift in the peak of the I Ca-voltage relationship. The β2CED is targeted by α1C to the plasma membrane, forms a complex with α1C but does not bind to AID. Electrophysiology and binding studies point to the calmodulin-interacting LA/IQ region in the α1C subunit C terminus as a functionally relevant β2CED binding site. The β2CED interacts with LA/IQ in a Ca2+- and calmodulin-independent manner and need LA, but not IQ, to activate the channel. Deletion/mutation analyses indicated that each of the three Cavβ2/α1C interactions is sufficient to support ICa. However, β2CED does not support Ca2+-dependent inactivation, suggesting that interactions of MAGUK with AID and IQ are crucial for Ca2+-induced inactivation. The β2CED is conserved only in Cavβ2 subunits. Thus, β2CED constitutes a previously unknown integrative part of the multifactorial mechanism of Cavβ 2-subunit differential modulation of the Cav1.2 calcium channel that in β2Δg occurs without MAGUK.