Critical roles of hydrophobicity and orientation of side chains for inactivation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase with thapsigargin and thapsigargin analogs.

Thapsigargin (Tg), a specific inhibitor of sarco/endoplasmic Ca(2+)-ATPases (SERCA), binds with high affinity to the E2 conformation of these ATPases. SERCA inhibition leads to elevated calcium levels in the cytoplasm, which in turn induces apoptosis. We present x-ray crystallographic and intrinsic fluorescence data to show how Tg and chemical analogs of the compound with modified or removed side chains bind to isolated SERCA 1a membranes.