Protein kinase C phosphorylation of cardiac troponin, the Ca 2؉ -sensing switch in muscle contraction, is capable of modulating the response of cardiac muscle to a Ca 2؉ ion concentration. The N-domain of cardiac troponin I contains two protein kinase C phosphorylation sites. Although the physiological consequences of phosphorylation at Ser 43 /Ser 45 are known, the molecular mechanisms responsible for these functional changes have yet to be established. In this work, NMR was used to identify conformational and dynamic changes in cardiac troponin C upon binding a phosphomimetic troponin I, having Ser 43 /Ser 45 mutated to Asp. Chemical shift perturbation mapping indicated that residues in helix G were most affected. Smaller chemical shift changes were observed in residues located in the Ca 2؉ /Mg 2؉ -binding loops. Amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange rates in the C-lobe of troponin C were compared in complexes containing either the wild-type or phosphomimetic N-domain of troponin I. In the presence of a phosphomimetic domain, exchange rates in helix G increased, whereas a decrease in exchange rates for residues mapping to Ca 2؉ /Mg 2؉ -binding loops III and IV was observed. Increased exchange rates are consistent with destabilization of the Thr 129 -Asp 132 helix capping box previously characterized in helix G. The perturbation of helix G and metal binding loops III and IV suggests that phosphorylation alters metal ion affinity and inter-subunit interactions. Our studies support a novel mechanism for protein kinase C signal transduction, emphasizing the importance of C-lobe Ca 2؉ /Mg 2؉ -dependent troponin interactions.Troponin and tropomyosin form the Ca 2ϩ -sensitive switch that regulates striated muscle contraction. Troponin is a ternary assembly of proteins composed of the Ca 2ϩ -binding subunit troponin C (TnC), 1 the inhibitory subunit troponin I (TnI), and the tropomyosin-binding protein troponin T that anchors troponin to the thin filament. Troponin C, a member of the EF-hand family of Ca 2ϩ -binding proteins, contains two globular domains connected by a linker. Each domain of cTnC contains two EF-hand or Ca 2ϩ -binding motifs. The N-lobe contains two lower affinity Ca 2ϩ -binding motifs, sites I and II, that control muscle contraction. Site I is naturally inactive in the cardiac isoform because of several amino acid substitutions and an amino acid insertion (1). Thus, Ca 2ϩ binding at site II in cTnC regulates muscle contraction. The C-lobe contains two high affinity Ca 2ϩ -binding sites, III and IV, which also bind Mg 2ϩ with lower affinity. Interactions between the C-lobe of cTnC and the N-domain of cTnI form the Ca 2ϩ /Mg 2ϩ -dependent cTnC/cTnI interaction site. In addition, the C-lobe of cTnC also interacts tightly with the C terminus of cardiac troponin T (2). These interactions form the core of the troponin complex, tethering all three subunits throughout the contraction cycle.A variety of effectors can modulate the frequency and intensity of myocardial contraction by charge modification upon the p...