Intrinsically disordered N-terminus of calponin homology-associated smooth muscle protein (CHASM) interacts with the calponin homology domain to enable tropomyosin binding

Biochemistry. 2012 Apr 3;51(13):2694-705. doi: 10.1021/bi2019018. Epub 2012 Mar 22.

Abstract

The calponin homology-associated smooth muscle (CHASM) protein plays an important adaptive role in smooth and skeletal muscle contraction. CHASM is associated with increased muscle contractility and can be localized to the contractile thin filament via its binding interaction with tropomyosin. We sought to define the structural basis for the interaction of CHASM with smooth muscle tropomyosin as a first step to understanding the contribution of CHASM to the contractile capacity of smooth muscle. Herein, we provide a structure-based model for the tropomyosin-binding domain of CHASM using a combination of hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) and NMR analyses. Our studies provide evidence that a portion of the N-terminal intrinsically disordered region forms intramolecular contacts with the globular C-terminal calponin homology (CH) domain. Ultimately, cooperativeness between these structurally dissimilar regions is required for CHASM binding to smooth muscle tropomyosin. Furthermore, it appears that the type-2 CH domain of CHASM is required for tropomyosin binding and presents a novel function for this protein domain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / chemistry
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Calponins
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Mice
  • Microfilament Proteins / chemistry
  • Microfilament Proteins / metabolism*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Muscle Proteins / chemistry
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Phosphoproteins / chemistry
  • Phosphoproteins / metabolism*
  • Protein Binding
  • Tropomyosin / chemistry
  • Tropomyosin / metabolism*

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Microfilament Proteins
  • Muscle Proteins
  • Phosphoproteins
  • SMTNL1 protein, mouse
  • Tropomyosin