The hydrophilic domain of phospholamban inhibits the Ca2+ transport step of the Ca(2+)-ATPase.

The peptide MEKVQYLTRSAIRRASTIEMPQQAR-Cys corresponding to residues 1-25 of phospholamban was found to inhibit the ATPase activity of skeletal muscle Ca(2+)-ATPase, but to have no effect on the Ca(2+)-dependence of its activity. The peptide was found to decrease the rate of the Ca2+ transport step (E1PCa2-->E2P) by a factor of 2.4. The rate of this same step was decreased by poly(L-Arg) by a factor of 2.2. The peptide shifted the E2-E1 equilibrium of the ATPase towards E1 by a factor of 4 due to stronger binding to the E1 than to the E2 conformation of the ATPase; dissociation constants for binding to E1 and E2 were estimated as 3 and 10 microM respectively. The peptide had no effect on the level of phosphorylation by Pi in the absence of Ca2+ or on the rate of phosphorylation by ATP in the presence of Ca2+.