Penta-EF hand, calcium binding motifs, found in calcium-dependent protease small subunit CAPNS1 and CAPNS2
CAPNS1, also termed calpain small subunit 1 (CSS1), or calcium-activated neutral proteinase small subunit (CANP small subunit), or calcium-dependent protease small subunit (CDPS), or calpain regulatory subunit, is a common 28-kDa regulatory calpain subunit encoded by the calpain small 1 (Capns1, also known as Capn4) gene. It acts as a binding partner to form a heterodimer with the 80 kDa calpain large catalytic subunit and is required in maintaining the activity of calpain. CAPNS1 plays a significant role in tumor progression of human cancer, and functions as a potential therapeutic target in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), glioma, and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). It may be involved in regulating migration and cell survival through binding to the SH3 domain of Ras GTPase-activating protein (RasGAP). It may also modulate Akt/FoxO3A signaling and apoptosis through PP2A. CAPNS1 contains an N-terminal glycine rich domain and a C-terminal PEF-hand domain. CAPNS2, also termed calpain small subunit 2 (CSS2), is a novel tissue-specific 30 kDa calpain small subunit that lacks two oligo-Gly stretches characteristic of the N-terminal Gly-rich domain of CAPNS1. CAPNS2 acts as a chaperone for the calpain large subunit, and appears to be the functional equivalent of CAPNS1. However, CAPNS2 binds the large subunit much more weakly than CAPNS1 and it does not undergo the autolytic conversion typical of CAPNS1.
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