skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Structure of the Autoinhibited Kinase Domain of CaMKII and SAXS Analysis of the Holoenzyme

Journal Article · · Cell

Ca{sup 2+}/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II (CaMKII) is unique among protein kinases for its dodecameric assembly and its complex response to Ca{sup 2+}. The crystal structure of the autoinhibited kinase domain of CaMKII, determined at 1.8 {angstrom} resolution, reveals an unexpected dimeric organization in which the calmodulin-responsive regulatory segments form a coiled-coil strut that blocks peptide and ATP binding to the otherwise intrinsically active kinase domains. A threonine residue in the regulatory segment, which when phosphorylated renders CaMKII calmodulin independent, is held apart from the catalytic sites by the organization of the dimer. This ensures a strict Ca{sup 2+} dependence for initial activation. The structure of the kinase dimer, when combined with small-angle X-ray scattering data for the holoenzyme, suggests that inactive CaMKII forms tightly packed autoinhibited assemblies that convert upon activation into clusters of loosely tethered and independent kinase domains.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1008665
Journal Information:
Cell, Vol. 123, Issue (5) ; 12, 2005; ISSN 0092-8674
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH