Solid-State NMR Provides Evidence for Small-Amplitude Slow Domain Motions in a Multispanning Transmembrane α-Helical Protein

NMR and Single-Molecule FRET Insights into Fast Protein Motions and Their Relation to Function

Proteins often undergo large-scale conformational transitions, in which secondary and tertiary structure elements (loops, helices, and domains) change their structures or their positions with respect to each other. Simple considerations suggest that such dynamics should be relatively fast, but the functional cycles of many proteins are often relatively slow. Sophisticated experimental methods are starting to tackle this dichotomy and shed light on the contribution of large-scale conformational dynamics to protein function. In this review, we focus on the contribution of single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies to the study of conformational dynamics. We briefly describe the state of the art in each of these techniques and then point out their similarities and differences, as well as the relative strengths and weaknesses of each. Several case studies, in which the connection between fast conformational dynamics and slower function has been demonstrated, are then introduced and discussed. These examples include both enzymes and large protein machines, some of which have been studied by both NMR and fluorescence spectroscopies.

Fast collective motions of backbone in transmembrane α helices are critical to water transfer of aquaporin

Fast collective motions are widely present in biomolecules, but their functional relevance remains unclear. Herein, we reveal that fast collective motions of backbone are critical to the water transfer of aquaporin Z (AqpZ) by using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A total of 212 residue site-specific dipolar order parameters and 158 15N spin relaxation rates of the backbone are measured by combining the 13C- and 1H-detected multidimensional ssNMR spectra. Analysis of these experimental data by theoretic models suggests that the small-amplitude (~10°) collective motions of the transmembrane α helices on the nanosecond-to-microsecond timescales are dominant for the dynamics of AqpZ. The MD simulations demonstrate that these collective motions are critical to the water transfer efficiency of AqpZ by facilitating the opening of the channel and accelerating the water-residue hydrogen bonds renewing in the selectivity filter region.

Protein dynamics detected by magic-angle spinning relaxation dispersion NMR

Magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is establishing itself as a powerful method for the characterization of protein dynamics at the atomic scale. We discuss here how R1ρ MAS relaxation dispersion NMR can explore microsecond-to-millisecond motions. Progress in instrumentation, isotope labeling, and pulse sequence design has paved the way for quantitative analyses of even rare structural fluctuations. In addition to isotropic chemical-shift fluctuations exploited in solution-state NMR relaxation dispersion experiments, MAS NMR has a wider arsenal of observables, allowing to see motions even if the exchanging states do not differ in their chemical shifts. We demonstrate the potential of the technique for probing motions in challenging large enzymes, membrane proteins, and protein assemblies.

Ultrafast Magic Angle Spinning Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy: Advances in Methodology and Applications

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy is one of the most commonly used techniques to study the atomic-resolution structure and dynamics of various chemical, biological, material, and pharmaceutical systems spanning multiple forms, including crystalline, liquid crystalline, fibrous, and amorphous states. Despite the unique advantages of solid-state NMR spectroscopy, its poor spectral resolution and sensitivity have severely limited the scope of this technique. Fortunately, the recent developments in probe technology that mechanically rotate the sample fast (100 kHz and above) to obtain "solution-like" NMR spectra of solids with higher resolution and sensitivity have opened numerous avenues for the development of novel NMR techniques and their applications to study a plethora of solids including globular and membrane-associated proteins, self-assembled protein aggregates such as amyloid fibers, RNA, viral assemblies, polymorphic pharmaceuticals, metal-organic framework, bone materials, and inorganic materials. While the ultrafast-MAS continues to be developed, the minute sample quantity and radio frequency requirements, shorter recycle delays enabling fast data acquisition, the feasibility of employing proton detection, enhancement in proton spectral resolution and polarization transfer efficiency, and high sensitivity per unit sample are some of the remarkable benefits of the ultrafast-MAS technology as demonstrated by the reported studies in the literature. Although the very low sample volume and very high RF power could be limitations for some of the systems, the advantages have spurred solid-state NMR investigation into increasingly complex biological and material systems. As ultrafast-MAS NMR techniques are increasingly used in multidisciplinary research areas, further development of instrumentation, probes, and advanced methods are pursued in parallel to overcome the limitations and challenges for widespread applications. This review article is focused on providing timely comprehensive coverage of the major developments on instrumentation, theory, techniques, applications, limitations, and future scope of ultrafast-MAS technology.

Rotating Frame Relaxation in Magic Angle Spinning Solid State NMR, a Promising Tool for Characterizing Biopolymer Motion

Magic angle spinning NMR rotating frame relaxation measurements provide a unique experimental window into biomolecules dynamics, as is illustrated by numerous recent applications. We discuss experimental strategies for this class of experiments, with a particular focus on systems where motion-driven modulation of the chemical shift interaction is the main mechanism for relaxation. We also explore and describe common strategies for interpreting the data sets to extract motion time scale, activation energy, and angle or order parameters from rotating frame relaxation data. Using model free analysis and numerical simulations, including time domain treatment, we explore conditions under which it is possible to obtain accurate and precise information about the time scales of motions. Overall, with rapid technical advances in solid state NMR, there is a bright future for this class of studies.

Divide and Conquer: A Tailored Solid‐state NMR Approach to Study Large Membrane Protein Complexes

Membrane proteins are known to exert many essential biological functions by forming complexes in cell membranes. An example refers to the β‐barrel assembly machinery (BAM), a 200 kDa pentameric complex containing BAM proteins A–E that catalyzes the essential process of protein insertion into the outer membrane of gram‐negative bacteria. While progress has been made in capturing three‐dimensional structural snapshots of the BAM complex, the role of the lipoprotein BamC in the complex assembly in functional lipid bilayers has remained unclear. We have devised a component‐selective preparation scheme to directly study BamC as part of the entire BAM complex in lipid bilayers. Combination with proton‐detected solid‐state NMR methods allowed us to probe the structure, dynamics, and supramolecular topology of full‐length BamC embedded in the entire complex in lipid bilayers. Our approach may help decipher how individual proteins contribute to the dynamic formation and functioning of membrane protein complexes in membranes.

1H-Detected Biomolecular NMR under Fast Magic-Angle Spinning

Since the first pioneering studies on small deuterated peptides dating more than 20 years ago, 1H detection has evolved into the most efficient approach for investigation of biomolecular structure, dynamics, and interactions by solid-state NMR. The development of faster and faster magic-angle spinning (MAS) rates (up to 150 kHz today) at ultrahigh magnetic fields has triggered a real revolution in the field. This new spinning regime reduces the 1H-1H dipolar couplings, so that a direct detection of 1H signals, for long impossible without proton dilution, has become possible at high resolution. The switch from the traditional MAS NMR approaches with 13C and 15N detection to 1H boosts the signal by more than an order of magnitude, accelerating the site-specific analysis and opening the way to more complex immobilized biological systems of higher molecular weight and available in limited amounts. This paper reviews the concepts underlying this recent leap forward in sensitivity and resolution, presents a detailed description of the experimental aspects of acquisition of multidimensional correlation spectra with fast MAS, and summarizes the most successful strategies for the assignment of the resonances and for the elucidation of protein structure and conformational dynamics. It finally outlines the many examples where 1H-detected MAS NMR has contributed to the detailed characterization of a variety of crystalline and noncrystalline biomolecular targets involved in biological processes ranging from catalysis through drug binding, viral infectivity, amyloid fibril formation, to transport across lipid membranes.

Direct Detection of Bound Ammonium Ions in the Selectivity Filter of Ion Channels by Solid-State NMR

The flow of ions across cell membranes facilitated by ion channels is an important function for all living cells. Despite the huge amount of structural data provided by crystallography, elucidating the exact interactions between the selectivity filter atoms and bound ions is challenging. Here, we detect bound ¹⁵N-labeled ammonium ions as a mimic for potassium ions in ion channels using solid-state NMR under near-native conditions. The non-selective ion channel NaK showed two ammonium peaks corresponding to its two ion binding sites, while its potassium-selective mutant NaK2K that has a signature potassium-selective selectivity filter with four ion binding sites gave rise to four ammonium peaks. Ions bound in specific ion binding sites were identified based on magnetization transfer between the ions and carbon atoms in the selectivity filters. Magnetization transfer between bound ions and water molecules revealed that only one out of four ions in the selectivity filter of NaK2K is in close contact with water, which is in agreement with the direct knock-on ion conduction mechanism where ions are conducted through the channel by means of direct interactions without water molecules in between. Interestingly, the potassium-selective ion channels investigated here (NaK2K and, additionally, KcsA-Kv1.3) showed remarkably different chemical shifts for their bound ions, despite having identical amino acid sequences and crystal structures of their selectivity filters. Molecular dynamics simulations show similar ion binding and conduction behavior between ammonium and potassium ions and identify the origin of the differences between the investigated potassium channels.

Dynamics properties of membrane proteins in native cell membranes revealed by solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Cell membranes provide an environment that is essential to the functions of membrane proteins. Cell membranes are mainly composed of proteins and highly diverse phospholipids. The influence of diverse lipid compositions of native cell membranes on the dynamics of the embedded membrane proteins has not been examined. Here we employ solid-state NMR to investigate the dynamics of E. coli Aquaporin Z (AqpZ) in its native inner cell membranes, and reveal the influence of diverse lipid compositions on the dynamics of AqpZ by comparing it in native cell membranes to that in POPC/POPG bilayers. We demonstrate that the dynamic rigidity of AqpZ generally conserves in both native cell membranes and POPC/POPG bilayers, due to its tightly packed tetrameric structure. In the gel and the liquid crystal phases of lipids, our experimental results show that AqpZ is more dynamic in native cell membranes than that in POPC/POPG bilayers. In addition, we observe that phase transitions of lipids in native membranes are less sensitive to temperature variations compared with that in POPC/POPG bilayers, which results in that the dynamics of AqpZ is less affected by the phase transitions of lipids in native cell membranes than that in POPC/POPG bilayers. This study provides new insights into the dynamics of membrane proteins in native cell membranes.

A combination of solid-state NMR and MD simulations reveals the binding mode of a rhomboid protease inhibitor

Intramembrane proteolysis plays a fundamental role in many biological and pathological processes. Intramembrane proteases thus represent promising pharmacological targets, but few selective inhibitors have been identified. This is in contrast to their soluble counterparts, which are inhibited by many common drugs, and is in part explained by the inherent difficulty to characterize the binding of drug-like molecules to membrane proteins at atomic resolution. Here, we investigated the binding of two different inhibitors to the bacterial rhomboid protease GlpG, an intramembrane protease characterized by a Ser–His catalytic dyad, using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. H/D exchange of deuterated GlpG can reveal the binding position while chemical shift perturbations additionally indicate the allosteric effects of ligand binding. Finally, we determined the exact binding mode of a rhomboid protease-inhibitor using a combination of solid-state NMR and molecular dynamics simulations. We believe this approach can be widely adopted to study the structure and binding of other poorly characterized membrane protein–ligand complexes in a native-like environment and under physiological conditions.

Proton-detected solid-state NMR in combination with molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations allow the study of rhomboid protease inhibition under native-like conditions.

Protein structural dynamics by Magic-Angle Spinning NMR

Magic-Angle Spinning (MAS) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a fast-developing technique, capable of complementing solution NMR, X-ray crystallography, and electron microscopy for the biophysical characterization of microcrystalline, poorly crystalline or disordered protein samples, such as enzymes, biomolecular assemblies, membrane-embedded systems or fibrils. Beyond structures, MAS NMR is an ideal tool for the investigation of dynamics, since it is unique in its ability to distinguish static and dynamic disorder, and to characterize not only amplitudes but also timescales of motion. Building on seminal work on model proteins, the technique is now ripe for widespread application in structural biology. This review briefly summarizes the recent evolutions in biomolecular MAS NMR and accounts for the growing number of systems where this spectroscopy has provided a description of conformational dynamics over the very last few years.

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an atomic-level method used to determine the chemical structure, three-dimensional structure, and dynamics of solids and semi-solids. This Primer summarizes the basic principles of NMR as applied to the wide range of solid systems. The fundamental nuclear spin interactions and the effects of magnetic fields and radiofrequency pulses on nuclear spins are the same as in liquid-state NMR. However, because of the anisotropy of the interactions in the solid state, the majority of high-resolution solid-state NMR spectra is measured under magic-angle spinning (MAS), which has profound effects on the types of radiofrequency pulse sequences required to extract structural and dynamical information. We describe the most common MAS NMR experiments and data analysis approaches for investigating biological macromolecules, organic materials, and inorganic solids. Continuing development of sensitivity-enhancement approaches, including 1H-detected fast MAS experiments, dynamic nuclear polarization, and experiments tailored to ultrahigh magnetic fields, is described. We highlight recent applications of solid-state NMR to biological and materials chemistry. The Primer ends with a discussion of current limitations of NMR to study solids, and points to future avenues of development to further enhance the capabilities of this sophisticated spectroscopy for new applications.

Recent advances in solid-state relaxation dispersion techniques

This review describes two rotating-frame (R_1ρ) relaxation dispersion methods, namely the Bloch-McConnell Relaxation Dispersion and the Near-rotary Resonance Relaxation Dispersion, which enable the study of microsecond time-scale conformational fluctuations in the solid state using magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The goal is to provide the reader with key ideas, experimental descriptions, and practical considerations associated with R_1ρ measurements that are needed for analyzing relaxation dispersion and quantifying conformational exchange. While the focus is on protein motion, many presented concepts can be equally well adapted to study the microsecond time-scale dynamics of other bio- (e.g. lipids, polysaccharides, nucleic acids), organic (e.g. pharmaceutical compounds), or inorganic molecules (e.g., metal organic frameworks). This article summarizes the essential contributions made by recent theoretical and experimental solid-state NMR studies to our understanding of protein motion. Here we discuss recent advances in fast MAS applications that enable the observation and atomic level characterization of sparsely populated conformational states which are otherwise inaccessible for other experimental methods. Such high-energy states are often associated with protein functions such as molecular recognition, ligand binding, or enzymatic catalysis, as well as with disease-related properties such as misfolding and amyloid formation.

High-sensitivity protein solid-state NMR spectroscopy

The sensitivity of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) spectroscopy for structural biology is significantly increased by 1H detection under fast magic-angle spinning (MAS) and by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) from electron spins to nuclear spins. The former allows studies of the structure and dynamics of small quantities of proteins under physiological conditions, while the latter permits studies of large biomolecular complexes in lipid membranes and cells, protein intermediates, and protein conformational distributions. We highlight recent applications of these two emerging SSNMR technologies and point out areas for future development.

A suite of solid-state NMR experiments to utilize orphaned magnetization for assignment of proteins using parallel high and low gamma detection

We present a suite of two-receiver solid-state NMR experiments for backbone and side chain resonance assignment. The experiments rely on either dipolar coupling or scalar coupling for polarization transfer and are devised to acquire a ¹H-detected 3D experiment AND a nested ¹³C-detected 2D from a shared excitation pulse. In order to compensate for the lower sensitivity of detection on ¹³C nucleus, 2D rows are signal averaged during 3D planes. The 3D dual receiver experiments do not suffer from any appreciable signal loss compared to their single receiver versions and require no extra optimization. The resulting data is higher in information content with no additional experiment time. The approach is expected to become widespread as multiple receivers become standard for new NMR spectrometers.

The conduction pathway of potassium channels is water free under physiological conditions

Ion conduction through potassium channels is a fundamental process of life. On the basis of crystallographic data, it was originally proposed that potassium ions and water molecules are transported through the selectivity filter in an alternating arrangement, suggesting a "water-mediated" knock-on mechanism. Later on, this view was challenged by results from molecular dynamics simulations that revealed a "direct" knock-on mechanism where ions are in direct contact. Using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance techniques tailored to characterize the interaction between water molecules and the ion channel, we show here that the selectivity filter of a potassium channel is free of water under physiological conditions. Our results are fully consistent with the direct knock-on mechanism of ion conduction but contradict the previously proposed water-mediated knock-on mechanism.

Refocusing CSA during magic angle spinning rotating-frame relaxation experiments

We examine coherent evolution of spin-locked magnetization during magic-angle spinning (MAS), in the context of relaxation experiments designed to probe chemical exchange (rotating-frame relaxation (R_1ρ)). Coherent evolution is expected in MAS based rotating-frame relaxation decay experiments if matching conditions are met (such as, ω₁ = nω_r) and if the chemical shielding anisotropy (CSA) is substantial. We show here using numerical simulations and experiments that even when such matching requirements are avoided (e.g., ω₁ < 0.5ω_r, ∼1.5ω_r, >2.5ω_r), coherent evolution of spin-locked magnetization with large CSA is still considerable. The coherent evolution has important consequences on the analysis of relaxation decay and the ability to extract accurate information of interest about dynamics. We present a pulse sequence that employs rotary echoes and refocuses CSA contributions, allowing for more sensitive measurement of rotating-frame relaxation with less interference from coherent evolution. In practice, the proposed pulse sequence, REfocused CSA Rotating-frame Relaxation (RECRR) is robust to carrier frequency offset, B₁-field inhomogeneity, and slight miscalibrations of the refocusing pulses.

Lipid- and Cholesterol-Mediated Time-Scale-Specific Modulation of the Outer Membrane Protein X Dynamics in Lipid Bilayers

Membrane protein function fundamentally depends on lipid-bilayer fluidity and the composition of the biological membrane. Although dynamic interdependencies between membrane proteins and the surrounding lipids are suspected, a detailed description is still missing. To uncover lipid-modulated membrane protein backbone dynamics, time-scale-specific NMR relaxation experiments with residue-resolution were recorded. The data revealed that lipid order, modified either biochemically or biophysically, changes the dynamics of the immersed membrane protein in a specific and time-scale-dependent manner. A temperature-dependent dynamics analysis furthermore suggests a direct coupling between lipid and protein dynamics in the picosecond-nanosecond, microsecond, and millisecond time scales, caused by the lipid's trans-gauche isomerization, the segmental and rotational motion of lipids, and the fluidity of the lipid phase, respectively. These observations provide evidence of a direct modulatory capability of the membrane to regulate protein function through lipid dynamics ranging from picoseconds to milliseconds.

Partial solid-state NMR 1H, 13C, 15N resonance assignments of a perdeuterated back-exchanged seven-transmembrane helical protein Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin

Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin (ASR) is a unique photochromic membrane-embedded photosensor which interacts with soluble transducer and is likely involved in a light-dependent gene regulation in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120. We report partial spectroscopic ¹H, ¹³C and ¹⁵N assignments of perdeuterated and back-exchanged ASR reconstituted in lipids. The reported assignments are in general agreement with previously determined assignments of carbon and nitrogen resonances in fully protonated samples. Because the back-exchange was performed on ASR in a detergent-solubilized state, the location of detected residues reports on the solvent accessibility of ASR in detergent. A comparison with the results of previously published hydrogen/exchange data collected on the ASR reconstituted in lipids, suggests that the protein has larger solvent accessible surface in the detergent-solubilized state.

Microsecond motions probed by near-rotary-resonance R1ρ15N MAS NMR experiments: the model case of protein overall-rocking in crystals

Solid-state near-rotary-resonance measurements of the spin-lattice relaxation rate in the rotating frame (R_1ρ) is a powerful NMR technique for studying molecular dynamics in the microsecond time scale. The small difference between the spin-lock (SL) and magic-angle-spinning (MAS) frequencies allows sampling very slow motions, at the same time it brings up some methodological challenges. In this work, several issues affecting correct measurements and analysis of ¹⁵N R_1ρ data are considered in detail. Among them are signal amplitude as a function of the difference between SL and MAS frequencies, "dead time" in the initial part of the relaxation decay caused by transient spin-dynamic oscillations, measurements under HORROR condition and proper treatment of the multi-exponential relaxation decays. The multiple ¹⁵N R_1ρ measurements at different SL fields and temperatures have been conducted in 1D mode (i.e. without site-specific resolution) for a set of four different microcrystalline protein samples (GB1, SH3, MPD-ubiquitin and cubic-PEG-ubiquitin) to study the overall protein rocking in a crystal. While the amplitude of this motion varies very significantly, its correlation time for all four sample is practically the same, 30-50 μs. The amplitude of the rocking motion correlates with the packing density of a protein crystal. It has been suggested that the rocking motion is not diffusive but likely a jump-like dynamic process.

Hidden motions and motion-induced invisibility: Dynamics-based spectral editing in solid-state NMR

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy enables the structural characterization of a diverse array of biological assemblies that include amyloid fibrils, non-amyloid aggregates, membrane-associated proteins and viral capsids. Such biological samples feature functionally relevant molecular dynamics, which often affect different parts of the sample in different ways. Solid-state NMR experiments' sensitivity to dynamics represents a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it offers a chance to measure dynamics in great detail. On the other hand, certain types of motion lead to signal loss and experimental inefficiencies that at first glance interfere with the application of ssNMR to overly dynamic proteins. Dynamics-based spectral editing (DYSE) ssNMR methods leverage motion-dependent signal losses to simplify spectra and enable the study of sub-structures with particular motional properties.

New applications of solid-state NMR in structural biology

Various recent developments in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy have enabled an array of new insights regarding the structure, dynamics, and interactions of biomolecules. In the ever more integrated world of structural biology, ssNMR studies provide structural and dynamic information that is complementary to the data accessible by other means. ssNMR enables the study of samples lacking a crystalline lattice, featuring static as well as dynamic disorder, and does so independent of higher-order symmetry. The present study surveys recent applications of biomolecular ssNMR and examines how this technique is increasingly integrated with other structural biology techniques, such as (cryo) electron microscopy, solution-state NMR, and X-ray crystallography. Traditional ssNMR targets include lipid bilayer membranes and membrane proteins in a lipid bilayer environment. Another classic application has been in the area of protein misfolding and aggregation disorders, where ssNMR has provided essential structural data on oligomers and amyloid fibril aggregates. More recently, the application of ssNMR has expanded to a growing array of biological assemblies, ranging from non-amyloid protein aggregates, protein–protein complexes, viral capsids, and many others. Across these areas, multidimensional magic angle spinning (MAS) ssNMR has, in the last decade, revealed three-dimensional structures, including many that had been inaccessible by other structural biology techniques. Equally important insights in structural and molecular biology derive from the ability of MAS ssNMR to probe information beyond comprehensive protein structures, such as dynamics, solvent exposure, protein–protein interfaces, and substrate–enzyme interactions.

Afterglow Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy

Biomolecular solid-state NMR experiments have traditionally been collected through detection of 13C or 15N nuclei. Since these nuclei have relatively low sensitivity stemming from their smaller gyromagnetic ratios relative to 1H, the time required to collect multi-dimensional datasets serves as a limitation to resonance assignment and structure determination. One improvement in the field has been to employ simultaneous or parallel acquisition techniques with the goal of acquiring more than one dataset at a time and therefore speeding up the overall data collection process. Central to these experiments is the cross-polarization (CP) element, which serves as a way to transfer magnetization between nuclei via magnetic dipolar couplings. In this chapter, we show how residual signal remaining after CP is a polarization source that can be used to acquire additional datasets. The setup of this class of experiments, referred to as Afterglow spectroscopy, is described and demonstrated using a membrane protein transporter involved in multidrug resistance.