Characterization of the calmodulin-like protein family inChara brauniiand their conserved interaction with the calmodulin-binding transcription activator family

Abstract

AbstractCalcium sensor proteins play important roles by detecting changes in intracellular calcium and relaying that information onto downstream targets through protein-protein interaction. Very little is known about calcium sensors from plant species that predate land colonization and the evolution of embryophytes. Here, we examined the genome of the multicellular algae,Chara braunii, for orthologs to the evolutionarily-conserved calcium sensor calmodulin (CaM), and for CaM-like proteins (CMLs). We identified one CaM and eight CML isoforms which rang in size from 16.4 to 21.3 kDa and are predicted to have between two to four calcium-binding (EF-hand) domains. Using recombinant protein, we tested whether CbCaM and CbCMLs1-7 possess biochemical properties of typical calcium sensors. CbCaM and the CbCMLs all displayed high-affinity calcium binding with estimated globalKDvalues in the physiological µM range. In response to calcium binding, CbCaM and the CbCMLs exhibited varying degrees of increase in exposed hydrophobicity, suggesting different calcium-induced conformational changes occur among isoforms. We found many examples of putative CaM targets encoded in theC. brauniigenome and explored the ability of CbCaM and CbCMLs to interactin plantawith a representative putative target, aC. brauniiCaM-binding transcription factor (CbCAMTA1). CbCaM, CbCML2, and CbCML4 associated with the C-terminal region of CbCAMTA1. Collectively, our data support the hypothesis that complex calcium signaling and sensing networks involving CaM and CMLs evolved early in the green lineage. Similarly, it seems likely that calcium-mediated regulation of transcription occurs inC. brauniivia CAMTAs and is an ancient trait predating embryophytic emergence.HighlightsAlthough calmodulin (CaM) and calmodulin-like (CML) proteins are well studied in vascular plants, little is known about their orthologs in ancient lineages. We characterized CaM and CMLs fromChara braunii, and assessed their ability to bind a representative target protein, a calmodulin-binding transcription factor, CbCAMTA1.