Velocity sedimentation experiments using authentic fibrillin-1 demonst
rated sedimentation coefficients of s(20,w)(0) = 5.1 +/- 0.1 in the Ca
2+ form and s(20,w)(0) = 6.2 +/- 0.1 in the Ca2+-free form. Calculatio
ns based on these results and the corresponding molecular mass predict
ed a shortening of fibrillin by similar to 25% and an increase in widt
h of similar to 13-17% upon removal of Ca2+, These observations were c
onfirmed by analysis of Ca2+-loaded and Ca2+-free rotary shadowed fibr
illin molecules. Analysis of recombinant fibrillin-1 subdomain rF17, c
onsisting primarily of an array of 12 Ca2+-binding epidermal growth fa
ctor (cbEGF)-like repeats, by analytical ultracentrifugation and rotar
y shadowing further confirmed Ca2+-dependent structural changes in the
tertiary structure of fibrillin-1. Based on these results, the contri
bution of a single cbEGF-like repeat to the length of tandem arrays is
predicted to be similar to 3 nm in the Ca2+ form, Ca2+-free forms dem
onstrated a decrease of 20-30% in length, indicating significant struc
tural changes of these motifs when they occur in tandem, Circular dich
roism measurements of rF17 in the presence and absence of Ca2+ indicat
ed secondary structural changes within and adjacent to the interdomain
regions that connect cbEGF-like repeats. The results presented here s
uggest a flexible structure for the Ca2+-free form of fibrillin which
becomes stabilized, more extended, and rigid in the Ca2+ form.