Small-angle X-ray scattering study of calmodulin bound to two peptides corresponding to parts of the calmodulin-binding domain of the plasma membrane Ca2+ pump.

The interaction between calmodulin (CaM) and two synthetic peptides, C20W and C24W, corresponding to parts of the calmodulin-binding domain of the Ca2+ pump of human erythrocytes, has been studied by using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The total length of the CaM-binding domain of the enzyme is estimated to be 28 amino acids. C20W contains the 20 N-terminal amino acids of this domain, C24W the 24 C-terminal amino acids. The experiments have shown that the binding of either peptide results in a complex with a radius of gyration (Rg) smaller than that of CaM. The complex between CaM and C20W revealed an interatomic length distribution function, P(r), similar to that of calmodulin alone, indicating that the complex retains an extended, dumbbell-shaped structure. By contrast, the binding of C24W resulted in the formation of a globular structure similar to those observed with many other CaM-binding peptides.