Mechanism of the stimulation of cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium pump by calmodulin.

Calmodulin has been shown to stimulate the initial rates of Ca2+-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase in cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, when it is present in the reaction assay media for these activities. To determine whether the stimulatory effect of calmodulin is mediated directly through its interaction with the Ca2+-ATPase, or indirectly through phosphorylation of phospholamban by an endogenous protein kinase, two approaches were taken in the present study. In the first approach, the effects of calmodulin were studied on a Ca2+-ATPase preparation, isolated from cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum, which was essentially free of phospholamban. The enzyme was preincubated with various concentrations of calmodulin at 0 degrees C and 37 degrees C, but there was no effect on the Ca2+-ATPase activity assayed over a wide range of [Ca2+] (0.1-10 microM). In the second approach, cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were prephosphorylated by an endogenous protein kinase in the presence of calmodulin. Phosphorylation occurred predominantly on phospholamban, an oligomeric proteolipid. The sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles were washed prior to assaying for Ca2+ uptake and Ca2+-ATPase activity in order to remove the added calmodulin. Phosphorylation of phospholamban enhanced the initial rates of Ca2+-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase, and this stimulation was associated with an increase in the affinity of the Ca2+-pump for calcium. The EC50 values for calcium activation of Ca2+-uptake and Ca2+-ATPase were 0.96 +/- 0.03 microM and 0.96 +/- 0.1 microM calcium by control vesicles, respectively. Phosphorylation decreased these values to 0.64 +/- 0.12 microM calcium for Ca2+-uptake and 0.62 +/- 0.11 microM calcium for Ca2+-ATPase. The stimulatory effect was associated with increases in the apparent initial rates of formation and decomposition of the phosphorylated intermediate of the Ca2+-ATPase. These findings suggest that calmodulin regulates cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum function by protein kinase-mediated phosphorylation of phospholamban.