E1P) to ADP-insensitive EP (E2P) was almost completely or strongly inhibited. Hydrolysis of E2P formed from P i was also dramatically slowed in these deletion mutants. On the other hand, the rates of the Ca 2؉ -induced enzyme activation and subsequent E1P formation from ATP were not altered by the deletions and substitutions. The results indicate that the Glu 40 -Ser 48 loop, with its appropriate length (but not with specific residues) and with its appropriate junction to A domain, is a critical element for the E1P to E2P transition and formation of the proper structure of E2P, therefore, most likely for the large rotational movement of A domain and resulting in its association with P and N domains. Results further suggest that the loop functions to coordinate this movement of A domain and the unique motion of M1 during the E1P to E2P transition.Sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca 2ϩ -ATPase (SERCA1a) 1 is a representative member of P-type ion transporting ATPases and catalyzes Ca 2ϩ transport coupled with ATP hydrolysis (Fig. 1) (Refs. 1 and 2, and for recent reviews, see Refs. 3 and 4). In the catalytic cycle, the enzyme is activated by binding of two Ca 2ϩ ions (E2 to E1Ca 2 , steps 1 and 2) and then autophosphorylated by MgATP to form ADP-sensitive phosphoenzyme (E1P, step 3). Upon formation of this EP, the bound Ca 2ϩ ions are occluded in the transport sites. The subsequent isomeric transition to ADP-insensitive form (E2P, step 4) will result in a reduction in affinity and a change in orientation of the Ca 2ϩ binding sites, and thus a Ca 2ϩ release into lumen (step 5). Finally, hydrolysis takes place and returns the enzyme into an unphosphorylated and Ca 2ϩ -unbound form (E2, step 6). E2P can also be formed from P i in the presence of Mg 2ϩ and absence of Ca 2ϩ by reversal of its hydrolysis.The enzyme has three cytoplasmic domains (N, P, and A), which are widely separated in the Ca 2ϩ bound form (E1Ca 2 ) and associated in the Ca 2ϩ -unbound and thapsigargin-bound form (E2(TG)) (5, 6) ( Fig. 2). The modeling of tubular crystals formed with decavanadate (E2V) revealed (5) that three cytoplasmic domains gather to form a most compactly organized single headpiece in E2V. With the limited proteolysis experiments, we previously showed (7, 8) that E2V is very similar to E2P in domain organization and that E2P is the intermediate having the most compactly organized headpiece in the catalytic cycle. The results further indicated that a large rotation of A domain (by ϳ90° (5)) and its strong association with P and N domains most likely occur during the E1P to E2P transition and suggested that stabilization energy provided by intimate contacts between all three cytoplasmic domains in E2P will provide energy for moving transmembrane helices and release the bound Ca 2ϩ ions.It is thus crucial to find out structural elements essential for the A domain movement and resulting domain organization and for transmitting these changes to transmembrane helices. We have recently identified the Lys 189 -Lys 205 outermost loop of A domain as...