The importance of occupancy rather than affinity of CaVβ subunits for the calcium channel I-II linker in relation to calcium channel function

The Ca(v)beta subunits of voltage-gated calcium channels regulate the trafficking and biophysical properties of these channels. We have taken advantage of mutations in the tyrosine residue within the alpha interaction domain (AID) in the I-II linker of Ca(V)2.2 which reduce, but do not abolish, the binding of beta 1b to the AID of Ca(V)2.2. We have found that the mutation Y388S decreased the affinity of CaV beta 1b binding to the Ca(V)2.2 I-II linker from 14 to 329 nm. However, the Y388S mutation had no effect on current density and cell surface expression of Ca(V)2.2/alpha 2 delta-2/beta 1b channels expressed in human embryonic kidney tsA-201 cells, when equivalent proportions of cDNA were used. Furthermore, despite the 24-fold reduced affinity of Ca(V)beta 1b for the Y388S I-II linker of Cav2.2, all the key features of modulation as well as trafficking by Ca(V)beta subunits remained intact. This is in contrast to the much more marked effect of the W391A mutation, which abolished interaction with the Ca(V)2.2 I-II linker, and very markedly affected the trafficking of the channels. However, using the Xenopus oocyte expression system, where expression levels can be accurately titrated, when Ca(V)beta 1b cDNA was diluted 50-fold, all evidence of interaction with Cav2.2 Y388S was lost, although wild-type Ca(V)2.2 was still normally modulated by the reduced concentration of beta 1b. These results indicate that high affinity interaction with the cc I subunit is not necessary for any of the modulatory effects of Ca(V)beta subunits, but occupancy of the interaction site is important, and this will occur, despite the reduced affinity, if the Ca(V)beta subunit is present in sufficient excess.