<i>Nereis</i> sarcoplasmic Ca²⁺‐binding protein has a highly unstructured apo state which is switched to the native state upon binding of the first Ca²⁺ ion

Abstract

NSCP, a sarcoplasmic Ca2+/Mg2+-binding protein from Nereis diversicolor, shows an allosteric change during Ca2+ binding and a high positive cooperativity for Mg2+ binding. Here we report the results of CD and NMR experiments aiming to characterize the apo state and the Ca2+-induced conformational changes in this protein. Circular dichroism spectra of the apo form are indicative of a reduced helical structure. In contrast, NMR spectra show no element of regular secondary or tertiary structure. Addition of one Ca2+ determines large spectral changes bringing the molecule in a conformation which is very close to the native three Ca2+ state. Addition of the second and third Ca2+ shifts this equilibrium progressively towards the liganded conformation but affects only minimally the spectrum of the liganded species.