Phosphoinositide binding regulates α-actinin CH2 domain structure: Analysis by hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry

α-Actinin is an actin bundling protein that regulates cell adhesion by directly linking actin filaments to integrin adhesion receptors. Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-diphosphate (PtdIns (4,5)-P₂) and phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate (PtdIns (3,4,5)-P₃) bind to the calponin homology 2 domain of α-actinin, regulating its interactions with actin filaments and integrin receptors. In this study, we examine the mechanism by which phosphoinositide binding regulates a-actinin function using mass spectrometry to monitor hydrogen-deuterium (H/D) exchange within the calponin homology 2 domain. The overall level of H/D exchange for the entire protein showed that PtdIns (3,4,5)-P₃ binding alters the structure of the calponin homology 2 domain increasing deuterium incorporation, whereas PtdIns (4,5)-P₂ induces changes in the structure decreasing deuterium incorporation. Analysis of peptic fragments from the calponin homology 2 domain showed decreased local H/D exchange within the loop region preceding helix F with both phosphoinositides. However, the binding of PtdIns (3,4,5)-P ₃ also induced increased exchange within helix E. This suggests that the phosphate groups on the fourth and fifth position of the inositol head group of the phosphoinositides constrict the calponin homology 2 domain, thereby altering the orientation of actin binding sequence 3 and decreasing the affinity of α-actinin for filamentous actin. In contrast, the phosphate group on the third position of the inositol head group of PtdIns (3,4,5)-P₃ perturbs the calponin homology 2 domain, altering the interaction between the N and C terminus of the full-length α-actinin antiparallel homodimer, thereby disrupting bundling activity and interaction with integrin receptors. Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.