"Thermodynamic effects of phospholamban on Ca-ATPase kinetics" by Patrick L. Apopa

Semester

Fall

Date of Graduation

2002

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

School of Medicine

Department

Biochemistry

Committee Chair

Jim Mahaney.

Abstract

The Ca-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum removes cytosolic calcium to promote muscle relaxation. In the heart, the Ca-ATPase is regulated by phospholamban, which inhibits the Ca-ATPase by decreasing Ca-ATPase calcium sensitivity. However, the kinetic and thermodynamic mechanisms of inhibition are not understood. The purpose of this research was to test the hypothesis that phospholamban regulates Ca-ATPase kinetics by increasing Ca-ATPase activation energy. The baculovirus-insect cell expression system was used to produce samples containing Ca-ATPase alone or Ca-ATPase with phospholamban. The temperature-dependence of Ca-ATPase activity and catalytic site density was measured in the absence and presence of phospholamban at sub-saturating calcium and used to calculate the temperature-dependence of Ca-ATPase turnover. Arrhenius analyses showed that phospholamban increased Ca-ATPase activation energy from 31 +/- 3 J/mol (Ca-ATPase only) to 52 +/- 5 J/mol (Ca-ATPase + phospholamban). The results supported the hypothesis and provided new insight into the mechanism of phospholamban inhibition of Ca-ATPase.

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