Structural and functional consequences of EF-hand I recovery in mnemiopsin 2.

Mnemiopsin 2 from Mnemiopsis leidyi is a calcium-regulated photoprotein which has luminescence properties in the presence of calcium and coelenterazine. All calcium-regulated photoproteins contain EF-hand loops consisting of 12 individual residues in which the 6th position is occupied by Gly. However, the 6th residue in mneniopsin 2 is Glu rather than Gly.

Negative net charge of EF-hand loop I can affect both calcium sensitivity and substrate binding pattern in mnemiopsin 2.

Mnemiopsin 2 from Mnemiopsis leidy has three Ca2+-binding motifs and has luminescence properties in the presence of calcium and coelenterazine. It has been reported that the pattern of calcium binding among EF-hand loops of various photoproteins is different. Here, we designed and constructed two variants of mnemiopsin 2 (E50G/D47N and E50G/E53T mutants) with modified EF-hand I in which the negative charge in the first loop was reduced.