Titin UN2A Acts as a Stable, Non‐Polymorphic Scaffold in its Binding to CARP

Long-distance restraints obtained by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy revealed that the “unique N2A” (UN2A) domain of the sarcomeric protein titin shows a defined and structured three-helix bundle and preserves this conformation upon binding of the muscle stress response factor CARP (cardiac ankyrin repeat protein).

Abstract

The N2A segment of titin functions as a pivotal hub for signal transduction and interacts with various proteins involved in structural support, chaperone activities, and transcriptional regulation. Notably, the “unique N2A” (UN2A) subdomain has been shown to interact with the stress-regulated cardiac ankyrin repeat protein (CARP), which contributes to the regulation of sarcomeric stiffness. Previously, the UN2A domain's three-dimensional structure was modelled based on its secondary structure content identified by NMR spectroscopy, considering the domain in isolation. In this study, we report experimental long-range distance distributions by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy between the three helixes within the UN2A domain linked to the immunoglobulin domain I81 in the presence and absence of CARP. The data confirm the central three-helix bundle fold of UN2A and show that this adopts a compact and stable conformation in absence of CARP. After binding to CARP, no significant conformational change was observed, suggesting that the UN2A domain retains its structure upon binding to CARP thereby, mediating the interaction approximately as a rigid-body.

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