2D-Infrared Spectroscopy of Proteins in Water: Using the Solvent Thermal Response as an Internal Standard

Emerging affinity methods for protein-drug interaction analysis

The study of protein-drug interaction plays a crucial role in understanding drug mechanisms, identifying new drug targets and biomarkers, and facilitating drug development and disease treatment. In recent years, significant progress has been made in various protein-drug interaction research methods due to the rapid development and in-depth application of mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, Raman spectroscopy, and other technologies. The progress has enhanced the sensitivity, precision, accuracy, and applicability of analytical methods, enabling the establishment of drug-protein interaction networks. This review discusses various emerging research methods, such as native mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and spectrum, biosensor technologies employing surface enhanced Raman, electrochemistry, and magneto resistive signals, as well as affinity magnetic levitation and affinity chromatography. The article also delves into the principles, applications, advantages, and limitations of these technologies.

Suppressing sidechain modes and improving structural resolution for 2D IR spectroscopy via vibrational lifetimes

Vibrational spectroscopy of protein structure often utilizes 13C18O-labeling of backbone carbonyls to further increase structural resolution. However, sidechains such as arginine, aspartate, and glutamate absorb within the same spectral region, complicating the analysis of isotope-labeled peaks. In this study, we report that the waiting time between pump and probe pulses in two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy can be used to suppress sidechain modes in favor of backbone amide I' modes based on differences in vibrational lifetimes. Furthermore, differences in the lifetimes of 13C18O-amide I' modes can aid in the assignment of secondary structure for labeled residues. Using model disordered and β-sheet peptides, it was determined that while β-sheets exhibit a longer lifetime than disordered structures, amide I' modes in both secondary structures exhibit longer lifetimes than sidechain modes. Overall, this work demonstrates that collecting 2D IR data at delayed waiting times, based on differences in vibrational lifetime between modes, can be used to effectively suppress interfering sidechain modes and further identify secondary structures.

Molecular Photothermal Effect on the 2D-IR Spectroscopy of Acetonitrile-Based Li-Ion Battery Electrolytes

Advancements in Li-ion battery (LIB) technology hinge on an understanding of Li-ion solvation and charge transport dynamics. Ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy has been used to investigate these dynamics in electrolytes by probing chemical exchange processes through time-dependent cross-peak analysis. However, accurate interpretation is complicated by factors such as vibrational energy transfer and molecular photothermal effect (MPTE), affecting cross-peak evolution. Pinpointing the precise origin of these cross-peaks has posed a significant challenge in time-resolved IR spectroscopic studies of LIB electrolytes. Here, we trace the origin of 2D-IR cross-peaks of LIB electrolytes utilizing acetonitrile as a solvent. Time-dependent analysis of LiSCN and CH3SCN mixtures in CD3CN revealed distinctive MPTE features. Furthermore, direct observation of intermolecular MPTE through two-color IR pump-probe spectroscopy lends support to the findings. Our results emphasize the non-negligible artifacts induced by MPTE and the necessity of considering these effects to accurately observe the ultrafast dynamics within LIB electrolytes.

Using 2D-IR Spectroscopy to Measure the Structure, Dynamics, and Intermolecular Interactions of Proteins in H2O

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy probes molecular structure at the level of the chemical bond or functional group. In the case of proteins, the most informative band in the IR spectrum is the amide I band, which arises predominantly from the C═O stretching vibration of the peptide link. The folding of proteins into secondary and tertiary structures leads to vibrational coupling between peptide units, generating specific amide I spectral signatures that provide a fingerprint of the macromolecular conformation. Ultrafast two-dimensional IR (2D-IR) spectroscopy allows the amide I band of a protein to be spread over a second frequency dimension in a way that mirrors 2D-NMR methods. This means that amide I 2D-IR spectroscopy produces a spectral map that is exquisitely sensitive to protein structure and dynamics and so provides detailed insights that cannot be matched by IR absorption spectroscopy. As a result, 2D-IR spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful tool for probing protein structure and dynamics over a broad range of time and length scales in the solution phase at room temperature. However, the protein amide I band coincides with an IR absorption from the bending vibration of water (δHOH), the natural biological solvent. To circumvent this problem, protein IR studies are routinely performed in D2O solutions because H/D substitution shifts the solvent bending mode (δDOD) to a lower frequency, revealing the amide I band. While effective, this method raises fundamental questions regarding the impact of the change in solvent mass on the structural or solvation dynamics of the protein and the removal of the energetic resonance between solvent and solute.In this Account, a series of studies applying 2D-IR to study the spectroscopy and dynamics of proteins in H2O-rich solvents is reviewed. A comparison of IR absorption spectroscopy and 2D-IR spectroscopy of protein-containing fluids is used to demonstrate the basis of the approach before a series of applications is presented. These range from measurements of fundamental protein biophysics to recent applications of machine learning to gain insight into protein-drug binding in complex mixtures. An outlook is presented, considering the potential for 2D-IR measurements to contribute to our understanding of protein behavior under near-physiological conditions, along with an evaluation of the obstacles that still need to be overcome.

Biomolecular infrared spectroscopy: making time for dynamics

Time resolved infrared spectroscopy of biological molecules has provided a wealth of information relating to structural dynamics, conformational changes, solvation and intermolecular interactions. Challenges still exist however arising from the wide range of timescales over which biological processes occur, stretching from picoseconds to minutes or hours. Experimental methods are often limited by vibrational lifetimes of probe groups, which are typically on the order of picoseconds, while measuring an evolving system continuously over some 18 orders of magnitude in time presents a raft of technological hurdles. In this Perspective, a series of recent advances which allow biological molecules and processes to be studied over an increasing range of timescales, while maintaining ultrafast time resolution, will be reviewed, showing that the potential for real-time observation of biomolecular function draws ever closer, while offering a new set of challenges to be overcome.

Optical Screening and Classification of Drug Binding to Proteins in Human Blood Serum

Protein-drug interactions in the human bloodstream are important factors in applications ranging from drug design, where protein binding influences efficacy and dose delivery, to biomedical diagnostics, where rapid, quantitative measurements could guide optimized treatment regimes. Current measurement approaches use multistep assays, which probe the protein-bound drug fraction indirectly and do not provide fundamental structural or dynamic information about the in vivo protein-drug interaction. We demonstrate that ultrafast 2D-IR spectroscopy can overcome these issues by providing a direct, label-free optical measurement of protein-drug binding in blood serum samples. Four commonly prescribed drugs, known to bind to human serum albumin (HSA), were added to pooled human serum at physiologically relevant concentrations. In each case, spectral changes to the amide I band of the serum sample were observed, consistent with binding to HSA, but were distinct for each of the four drugs. A machine-learning-based classification of the serum samples achieved a total cross-validation prediction accuracy of 92% when differentiating serum-only samples from those with a drug present. Identification on a per-drug basis achieved correct drug identification in 75% of cases. These unique spectroscopic signatures of the drug-protein interaction thus enable the detection and differentiation of drug containing samples and give structural insight into the binding process as well as quantitative information on protein-drug binding. Using currently available instrumentation, the 2D-IR data acquisition required just 1 min and 10 μL of serum per sample, and so these results pave the way to fast, specific, and quantitative measurements of protein-drug binding in vivo with potentially invaluable applications for the development of novel therapies and personalized medicine.

D2O as an Imperfect Replacement for H2O: Problem or Opportunity for Protein Research?

D2O is commonly used as a solvent instead of H2O in spectroscopic studies of proteins, in particular, in infrared and nuclear-magnetic-resonance spectroscopy. D2O is chemically equivalent to H2O, and the differences, particularly in hydrogen-bond strength, are often ignored. However, replacing solvent water with D2O can affect not only the kinetics but also the structure and stability of biomolecules. Recent experiments have shown that even the mesoscopic structures and the elastic properties of biomolecular assemblies, such as amyloids and protein networks, can be very different in D2O and H2O. We discuss these findings, which probably are just the tip of the iceberg, and which seem to call for obtaining a better understanding of the H2O/D2O-isotope effect on water-water and water-protein interactions. Such improved understanding may change the differences between H2O and D2O as biomolecular solvents from an elephant in the room to an opportunity for protein research.

Temperature-Induced Effects on the Structure of Gramicidin S

We report on the structure of Gramicidin S (GS) in a model membrane mimetic environment represented by the amphipathic solvent 1-octanol using one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) IR spectroscopy. To explore potential structural changes of GS, we also performed a series of spectroscopic measurements at differing temperatures. By analyzing the amide I band and using 2D-IR spectral changes, results could be associated to the disruption of aggregates/oligomers, as well as structural and conformational changes happening in the concentrated solution of GS. The ability of 2D-IR to enable differentiation in melting transitions of oligomerized GS structures is attributed to the sensitivity of the technique to vibrational coupling. Two melting transition temperatures were identified; at T_m1 in the range 41-47 °C where the GS aggregates/oligomers disassemble and at T_m2 = 57 ± 2 °C where there is significant change involving GS β-sheet-type hydrogen bonds, whereby it is proposed that there is loss of interpeptide hydrogen bonds and we are left with mainly intrapeptide β-sheet and β-turn hydrogen bonds of the smaller oligomers. Further analysis with quantum mechanical/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) simulations and second derivative results highlighted the participation of active GS side chains. Ultimately, this work contributes toward understanding the GS structure and the formulation of GS analogues with improved bioactivity.

2D-IR spectroscopy of proteins in H2O-A Perspective

The form of the amide I infrared absorption band provides a sensitive probe of the secondary structure and dynamics of proteins in the solution phase. However, the frequency coincidence of the amide I band with the bending vibrational mode of H₂O has necessitated the widespread use of deuterated solvents. Recently, it has been demonstrated that ultrafast 2D-IR spectroscopy allows the detection of the protein amide I band in H₂O-based fluids, meaning that IR methods can now be applied to study proteins in physiologically relevant solvents. In this perspective, we describe the basis of the 2D-IR method for observing the protein amide I band in H₂O and show how this development has the potential to impact areas ranging from our fundamental appreciation of protein structural dynamics to new applications for 2D-IR spectroscopy in the analytical and biomedical sciences. In addition, we discuss how the spectral response of water, rather than being a hindrance, now provides a basis for new approaches to data pre-processing, standardization of 2D-IR data collection, and signal quantification. Ultimately, we visualize a direction of travel toward the creation of 2D-IR spectral libraries that can be linked to advanced computational methods for use in high-throughput protein screening and disease diagnosis.

High-precision background correction and artifact suppression for ultrafast spectroscopy by quasi-simultaneous measurements in a split-sample cell

Alternating acquisition of background and sample spectra is often employed in conventional Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy or ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy for accurate background subtraction. For example, for solvent background correction, typically a spectrum of a cuvette with solvent is measured and subtracted from a spectrum of a cuvette with solvent and solute. Ultrafast spectroscopies, though, come with many peculiarities that make the collection of well-matched, subtractable background and sample spectra challenging. Here, we present a demountable split-sample cell in combination with a modified Lissajous scanner to overcome these challenges. It allows for quasi-simultaneous measurements of background and sample spectra, mitigating the effects of drifts of the setup and maintaining the beam and sample geometry when swapping between background and sample measurements. The cell is moving between subsequent laser shots to refresh the excited sample volume. With less than 45 μl of solution for 150 μm optical thickness, sample usage is economical. Cell assembly is a key step and covered in an illustrated protocol.

Detection of paracetamol binding to albumin in blood serum using 2D-IR spectroscopy

Two-Dimensional Infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy is used to detect binding of paracetamol with proteins in blood serum. Quantitative peak patterns are observed indicating structural changes of the albumins' secondary structure when paracetamol bound.

Direct observation of protein structural transitions through entire amyloid aggregation processes in water using 2D-IR spectroscopy

Amyloid proteins that undergo self-assembly to form insoluble fibrillar aggregates have attracted much attention due to their role in biological and pathological significance in amyloidosis. This study aims to understand the amyloid aggregation dynamics of insulin (INS) in H₂O using two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy. Conventional IR studies have been performed in D₂O to avoid spectral congestion despite distinct H–D isotope effects. We observed a slowdown of the INS fibrillation process in D₂O compared to that in H₂O. The 2D-IR results reveal that different quaternary structures of INS at the onset of the nucleation phase caused the distinct fibrillation pathways of INS in H₂O and D₂O. A few different biophysical analysis, including solution-phase small-angle X-ray scattering combined with molecular dynamics simulations and other spectroscopic techniques, support our 2D-IR investigation results, providing insight into mechanistic details of distinct structural transition dynamics of INS in water. We found the delayed structural transition in D₂O is due to the kinetic isotope effect at an early stage of fibrillation of INS in D₂O, i.e., enhanced dimer formation of INS in D₂O. Our 2D-IR and biophysical analysis provide insight into mechanistic details of structural transition dynamics of INS in water. This study demonstrates an innovative 2D-IR approach for studying protein dynamics in H₂O, which will open the way for observing protein dynamics under biological conditions without IR spectroscopic interference by water vibrations.

This study aims to understand the structural transition dynamics of INS during amyloid aggregation in H₂O using 2D-IR spectroscopy. The results show that distinct fibrillations in D₂O and H₂O originated from different quaternary structures of INS.

Protein Dynamics by Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy

Proteins function as ensembles of interconverting structures. The motions span from picosecond bond rotations to millisecond and longer subunit displacements. Characterization of functional dynamics on all spatial and temporal scales remains challenging experimentally. Two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (2D IR) is maturing as a powerful approach for investigating proteins and their dynamics. We outline the advantages of IR spectroscopy, describe 2D IR and the information it provides, and introduce vibrational groups for protein analysis. We highlight example studies that illustrate the power and versatility of 2D IR for characterizing protein dynamics and conclude with a brief discussion of the outlook for biomolecular 2D IR.

Differentiation of bacterial spores via 2D-IR spectroscopy

Ultrafast 2D-IR spectroscopy is a powerful tool for understanding the spectroscopy and dynamics of biological molecules in the solution phase. A number of recent studies have begun to explore the utility of the information-rich 2D-IR spectra for analytical applications. Here, we report the application of ultrafast 2D-IR spectroscopy for the detection and classification of bacterial spores. 2D-IR spectra of Bacillus atrophaeus and Bacillus thuringiensis spores as dry films on CaF₂ windows were obtained. The sporulated nature of the bacteria was confirmed using 2D-IR diagonal and off-diagonal peaks arising from the calcium dipicolinate CaDP·3H₂O biomarker for sporulation. Distinctive peaks, in the protein amide I region of the spectrum were used to differentiate the two types of spore. The identified marker modes demonstrate the potential for the use of 2D-IR methods as a direct means of spore classification. We discuss these new results in perspective with the current state of analytical 2D-IR measurements, showing that the potential exists to apply 2D-IR spectroscopy to detect the spores on surfaces and in suspensions as well as in dry films. The results demonstrate how applying 2D-IR screening methodologies to spores would enable the creation of a library of spectra for classification purposes.

Detection of Glycine as a Model Protein in Blood Serum Using 2D-IR Spectroscopy

Glycine (Gly) is used as a model system to evaluate the ability of ultrafast two-dimensional infrared (2D-IR) spectroscopy to detect and quantify the low-molecular-weight proteinaceous components of blood serum. Combining data acquisition schemes to suppress absorption bands of H₂O that overlap with the protein amide I band with analysis of peak patterns appearing in the off-diagonal region of the 2D-IR spectrum allows separation of the Gly spectral signature from that of the dominant protein fraction of serum in a transmission-mode 2D-IR measurement without any sample manipulation, e.g., filtration or drying. 2D-IR spectra of blood serum samples supplemented with varying concentrations of Gly were obtained, and a range of data analysis methods compared, leading to a detection limit of ∼3 mg/mL for Gly. The reported methodology provides a platform for a critical assessment of the sensitivity of 2D-IR for measuring the concentrations of amino acids, peptides, and low-molecular-weight proteins present in serum samples. We conclude that, in the case of several clinically relevant diagnostic molecules and their combinations, the potential exists for 2D-IR to complement IR absorption methods as the benefits of the second frequency dimension offered by 2D-IR spectroscopy outweigh the added technical complexity of the measurement.