Thermodynamics of Cation Binding to the Sarcoendoplasmic Reticulum Calcium ATPase Pump and Impacts on Enzyme Function

Sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) is a transmembrane pump that plays an important role in transporting calcium into the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). While calcium (Ca2+) binds SERCA with micromolar affinity, magnesium (Mg2+) and potassium (K+) also compete with Ca2+ binding. However, the molecular bases for these competing ions’ influence on the SERCA function and the selectivity of the pump for Ca2+ are not well-established. We therefore used in silico methods to resolve molecular determinants of cation binding in the canonical site I and II Ca2+ binding sites via (1) triplicate molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Mg2+, Ca2+, and K+-bound SERCA, (2) mean spherical approximation (MSA) theory to score the affinity and selectivity of cation binding to the MD-resolved structures, and (3) state models of SERCA turnover informed from MSA-derived affinity data. Our key findings are that (a) coordination at sites I and II is optimized for Ca2+ and to a lesser extent for Mg2+ and K+, as determined by MD-derived cation–amino acid oxygen and bound water configurations, (b) the impaired coordination and high desolvation cost for Mg2+ precludes favorable Mg2+ binding relative to Ca2+, while K+ has limited capacity to bind site I, and (c) Mg2+ most likely acts as inhibitor and K+ as intermediate in SERCA’s reaction cycle, based on a best-fit state model of SERCA turnover. These findings provide a quantitative basis for SERCA function that leverages molecular-scale thermodynamic data and rationalizes enzyme activity across broad ranges of K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ concentrations