Symmetry principles in the design of pulse sequences for structural measurements in magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance

Recent progress in dipolar recoupling techniques under fast MAS in solid-state NMR spectroscopy

With the recent advances in NMR hardware and probe design technology, magic-angle spinning (MAS) rates over 100 ​kHz are accessible now, even on commercial solid NMR probes. Under such fast MAS conditions, excellent spectral resolution has been achieved by efficient suppression of anisotropic interactions, which also opens an avenue to the proton-detected NMR experiments in solids. Numerous methods have been developed to take full advantage of fast MAS during the last decades. Among them, dipolar recoupling techniques under fast MAS play vital roles in the determination of the molecular structure and dynamics, and are also key elements in multi-dimensional correlation NMR experiments. Herein, we review the dipolar recoupling techniques, especially those developed in the past two decades for fast-to-ultrafast MAS conditions. A major focus for our discussion is the ratio of RF field strength (in frequency) to MAS frequency, ν₁/ν_r, in different pulse sequences, which determines whether these dipolar recoupling techniques are suitable for NMR experiments under fast MAS conditions. Systematic comparisons are made among both heteronuclear and homonuclear dipolar recoupling schemes. In addition, the schemes developed specially for proton-detection NMR experiments under ultrafast MAS conditions are highlighted as well.

Two pulse recoupling

The paper describes a family of novel recoupling pulse sequences in magic angle spinning (MAS) solid state NMR, called two pulse recoupling. These pulse sequences can be employed for both homonuclear and heteronuclear recoupling experiments and are robust to dispersion in chemical shifts and rf-inhomogeneity. The homonuclear pulse sequence consists of a building block (π)_ϕ(π)_-ϕ where ϕ=π4n, and n is number of blocks in a rotor period. The recoupling block is made robust to rf-inhomogeneity by extending it to (π)_ϕ(π)_-ϕ(π)_π+ϕ(π)_π-ϕ. The heteronuclear recoupling pulse sequence consists of a building block [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on channel I and S, where ϕ₁=3π8n,ϕ₂=π8n and n is number of blocks in a rotor period. The recoupling block is made robust to rf-inhomogeneity by extending it to [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on two channels respectively. The recoupling pulse sequences mix the z magnetization. Experimental quantification of this method is shown for¹³C_α-¹³CO homonuclear recoupling in a sample of Glycine and ¹⁵N-¹³C_α heteronuclear recoupling in Alanine. Application of this method is demonstrated on a sample of tripeptide N-formyl-[U-¹³C,¹⁵N]-Met-Leu-Phe-OH (MLF). Compared to R-sequences (Levitt, 2002), these sequences are more robust to rf-inhomogeneity and give better sensitivity, as shown in Fig. 3.

Band-selective heteronuclear dipolar recoupling with dual back-to-back pulses in rotating solids

We propose a robust band-selective heteronuclear ¹⁵N-¹³C recoupling method using dual back-to-back (BABA) pulses (DBP). It contains four 90° pulses in each rotor period and corresponding phase cycling on each channel (¹³C and ¹⁵N). DBP aims at rapid band-selective heteronuclear magnetization transfer between ¹⁵N and ¹³Cα/¹³C', whose efficiency is close to that of the well-known SPECIFIC CP in membrane proteins with relatively short relaxation time in rotating frame (T_1ρ). Compared to SPECIFIC CP, DBP is very simple to set up and highly robust to RF variations. Thus, it can reduce the efforts in experimental optimization, especially for low-sensitive samples, and is very suitable for long-time or quantitative experiments. The efficacy of DBP is demonstrated by the E. coli diacylglycerol kinase (DAGK) proteoliposome. We anticipate that DBP would be useful for (segments of) membrane proteins that undergo the μs-ms timescale motions in magic-angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR.

Dual-band selective double cross polarization for heteronuclear polarization transfer between dilute spins in solid-state MAS NMR

A sinusoidal modulation scheme is described for selective heteronuclear polarization transfer between two dilute spins in double cross polarization magic-angle-spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. During the second N→C cross polarization, the (13)C RF amplitude is modulated sinusoidally while the (15)N RF amplitude is tangent. This modulation induces an effective spin-lock field in two selective frequency bands in either side of the (13)C RF carrier frequency, allowing for simultaneous polarization transfers from (15)N to (13)C in those two selective frequency bands. It is shown by experiments and simulations that this sinusoidal modulation allows one to selectively polarize from (15)N to its covalently bonded (13)Cα and (13)C' carbons in neighboring peptide planes simultaneously, which is useful for establishing the backbone connectivity between two sequential residues in protein structural elucidation. The selectivity and efficiency were experimentally demonstrated on a uniformly (13)C,(15)N-labeled β1 immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G (GB1).

Compensated DRAMA sequence for homonuclear dipolar recoupling under magic-angle spinning

The DRAMA sequence has been considered as the milestone in the development of homonuclear dipolar recoupling. Although it has a high efficiency for double-quantum excitation in spin 1/2 systems, it is seldom used today for real applications because of its susceptibility to the deteriorating effects of chemical shift anisotropy and resonance offsets. We show in this work that the practicability of DRAMA can be greatly enhanced by incorporating four pi pulses with XY-4 phases into the basic DRAMA cycles. Average Hamiltonian theory is used to evaluate the performance of the resulting pulse sequence with respect to the compensation of chemical shift anisotropy. Numerical simulations and experimental measurements on hydroxyapatite indeed show that the performance of DRAMA-XY4 is very satisfying for 31P DQ excitation, provided that the resonance offset is within the range of [-4, 4]kHz.

Homonuclear dipolar recoupling techniques for structure determination in uniformly 13C-labeled proteins

In solid-state NMR magic angle spinning is often used to remove line broadening associated with anisotropic interactions, such as chemical shift anisotropy and dipolar couplings. Dipolar recoupling refers to sequences of pulses designed to reintroduce dipolar interactions that are otherwise averaged by magic angle spinning. One of the key applications of homonuclear (and heteronuclear) dipolar recoupling is for the purpose of protein structure determination. Recoupling experiments, originally designed for applications in spin-pair labeled samples, have been revised in recent years for applications in samples with extensive or uniform incorporation of isotopic labels. In these samples multiple internuclear distances can in principle be probed simultaneously, but the dipolar truncation effects (i.e. attenuation of the effects of weak couplings by strong ones) circumvent such measurements. In this article we review some of the recent developments in homonuclear recoupling methods that allow overcoming this problem.

Multidimensional solid state NMR of anisotropic interactions in peptides and proteins

Accurate determinations of chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) tensors are valuable for NMR of biological systems. In this review we describe recent developments in CSA measurement techniques and applications, particularly in the context of peptides and proteins. These techniques include goniometeric measurements of single crystals, slow magic-angle spinning studies of powder samples, and CSA recoupling under moderate to fast MAS. Experimental CSA data can be analyzed by comparison with ab initio calculations for structure determination and refinement. This approach has particularly high potential for aliphatic (13)C analysis, especially Calpha tensors which are directly related to structure. Carbonyl and (15)N CSA tensors demonstrate a more complex dependence upon hydrogen bonding and electrostatics, in addition to conformational dependence. The improved understanding of these tensors and the ability to measure them quantitatively provide additional opportunities for structure determination, as well as insights into dynamics.

Symmetry-based constant-time homonuclear dipolar recoupling in solid state NMR

Constant-time dipolar recoupling pulse sequences are advantageous in structural studies by solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with magic-angle spinning (MAS) because they yield experimental data that are relatively insensitive to radio-frequency pulse imperfections and nuclear spin relaxation processes. A new approach to the construction of constant-time homonuclear dipolar recoupling sequences is described, based on symmetry properties of the recoupled dipole-dipole interaction Hamiltonian under cyclic displacements in time with respect to the MAS sample rotation period. A specific symmetry-based pulse sequence called PITHIRDS-CT is introduced and demonstrated experimentally. (13)C NMR data for singly-(13)C-labeled amino acid powders and amyloid fibrils indicate the effectiveness of PITHIRDS-CT in measurements of intermolecular distances in solids. (15)N-detected and (13)C-detected measurements of intramolecular (15)N-(15)N distances in peptides with alpha-helical and beta-sheet structures indicate the utility of PITHIRDS-CT in studies of molecular conformations, especially measurements of backbone psi torsion angles in peptides containing uniformly (15)N- and (13)C-labeled amino acids.

Solid-state NMR of endohedral hydrogen–fullerene complexes

We present an overview of solid-state NMR studies of endohedral H(2)-fullerene complexes, including (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra, (1)H and (13)C spin relaxation studies, and the results of (1)H dipole-dipole recoupling experiments. The available data involves three different endohedral H(2)-fullerene complexes, studied over a wide range of temperatures and applied magnetic fields. The symmetry of the cage influences strongly the motionally-averaged nuclear spin interactions of the endohedral H(2) species, as well as its spin relaxation behaviour. In addition, the non-bonding interactions between fullerene cages are influenced by the presence of endohedral hydrogen molecules. The review also presents several pieces of experimental data which are not yet understood, one example being the structured (1)H NMR lineshapes of endohedral H(2) molecules trapped in highly symmetric cages at cryogenic temperatures. This review demonstrates the richness of NMR phenomena displayed by H(2)-fullerene complexes, especially in the cryogenic regime.

DRAMAtic transforms in magic angle spinning recoupling NMR: The Bessel function pathway

In magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR recoupling experiments, the extraction of multiple couplings or a coupling distribution from the observed dephasing signals remains a challenging problem. At least for REDOR experiments, the REDOR transform solves this problem, enabling the simultaneous measurement of multiple dipolar couplings. Focusing on the quadrupolar dephasing observed in QUADRAMA experiments as a representative example, we demonstrate that the same analytical form used for the mathematical description of REDOR dephasing also describes the dephasing observed in a wide variety of MAS NMR recoupling experiments. This fact immediately extends REDOR transform techniques to a much broader suite of recoupling experiments than had previously been realized, including those of DRAMA, MELODRAMA and QUADRAMA. As an illustration, we use the DRAMAtic transform to provide the first inversion of a QUADRAMA dephasing signal to extract the quadrupole coupling distribution. Using a complete elliptic integral of the first kind, we further develop a novel expression for the Pake-spun powder patterns of the corresponding recoupled lineshapes. Our methods and results reinforce the central role that Bessel functions can play in simplifying the integrals that define both the dephasing signals in the time domain, and their Fourier transforms in the frequency domain.

The role of carbon in the nitridic high performance ceramics in the system Si-B-N-C

Using a multitude of modern solid-state NMR techniques including 11B-MQMAS-NMR, 11B-13C-REDOR NMR, 13C-11B-REAPDOR NMR, 15N-11B-REAPDOR NMR and 13C-2D-RFDR NMR experiments, the network organization in the quaternary high performance ceramic SiBN3C has been studied. Carbon is found to agglomerate into domains with predominant carbon-carbon bonding. The NMR results are compatible with carbon atoms involved in a graphite-like bonding scheme. The network adopted is quite similar to the corresponding one in the related ternary ceramic Si3B3N7, consisting of domains characterized by predominant Si-N bonding and domains of predominant B-N bonding with the carbon agglomerates located within the B-N domains of the network. The homogeneity with respect to the elemental distribution down to the nm regime, observed using electron spectroscopic imaging techniques puts an upper limit of ca. 1 nm to these agglomerates.

Recent developments in solid-state magic-angle spinning, nuclear magnetic resonance of fully and significantly isotopically labelled peptides and proteins

In recent years, a large number of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques have been developed and applied to the study of fully or significantly isotopically labelled ((13)C, (15)N or (13)C/(15)N) biomolecules. In the past few years, the first structures of (13)C/(15)N-labelled peptides, Gly-Ile and Met-Leu-Phe, and a protein, Src-homology 3 domain, were solved using magic-angle spinning NMR, without recourse to any structural information obtained from other methods. This progress has been made possible by the development of NMR experiments to assign solid-state spectra and experiments to extract distance and orientational information. Another key aspect to the success of solid-state NMR is the advances made in sample preparation. These improvements will be reviewed in this contribution. Future prospects for the application of solid-state NMR to interesting biological questions will also briefly be discussed.

Characterization of heteronuclear decoupling through proton spin dynamics in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

The work presented here aims at understanding the performance of phase modulated heteronuclear decoupling sequences such as Cosine Modulation or Two Pulse Phase Modulation. To that end we provide an analytical description of the intrinsic behavior of Cosine Modulation decoupling with respect to radio-frequency-inhomogeneity and the proton-proton dipolar coupling network. We discover through a Modulation Frame average Hamiltonian analysis that best decoupling is obtained under conditions where the heteronuclear interactions are removed but notably where homonuclear couplings are recoupled at a homonuclear Rotary Resonance (HORROR) condition in the Modulation Frame. These conclusions are supported by extensive experimental investigations, and notably through the introduction of proton nutation experiments to characterize spin dynamics in solids under decoupling conditions. The theoretical framework presented in this paper allows the prediction of the optimum parameters for a given set of experimental conditions.

MIL-50, an open-framework GaPO with a periodic pattern of small water ponds and dry rubidium atoms: a combined XRD, NMR, and computational study

A new fluorinated gallium phosphate, MIL-50, has been synthesized under mild hydrothermal conditions using 1,6-diaminohexane. The chemical formula of MIL-50 is Rb(2)Ga(9)(PO(4))(8)(HPO(4))(OH)F(6).2N(2)C(6)H(18).7H(2)O. The structure is a network of hexameric units of Ga(3)(PO(4))(3)F(2) and Ga(3)(PO(4))(2)(HPO(4))F(3) via corner sharing. It creates a three-dimensional open-framework delimiting 6- and 18-ring channels running along the c axis. The diprotonated 1,6-diaminohexane and water molecules are trapped within the 18-ring pores, whereas the rubidium cations reside in the 6-ring ones. A double quantum (31)P NMR experiment and partial charge calculations indicate that water molecules are present under the form of periodic small clusters, lowering the multiplicity of one phosphorus site, P3. Though water hops within the clusters, the motion leaves the water pattern periodic. Rubidium is so tightly embedded into the framework that water moving in the large 18-ring channels does not reach it, leaving it therefore dry. The crystal framework may be ascribed to the orthorhombic space group Cmc2(1) (n degrees 36), a = 32.1510(2), b = 17.2290(3), c = 10.2120(1) A. The periodic water pattern has a different symmetry than that of the framework. A method has been devised to superpose the two sublattices that coexist in the same unit cell in order to have full occupancy of each site and to perform Madelung summations. This original method is of general interest for most zeolitic materials exhibiting a different symmetry for the framework and the template sublattices.

Internuclear distance determination of S = 1, I = 1/2 spin pairs using REAPDOR NMR

A universal function is proposed to describe REAPDOR dephasing curves of an observed spin-1/2 nucleus dipole-recoupled to a spin-1 quadrupolar nucleus ((2)H or (14)N). Previous work had shown that, in contrast to REDOR, the shape of the dephasing curve depends on a large number of parameters including the quadrupolar coupling constant and asymmetry parameter, the sample rotation speed, the RF amplitude, and the relative orientations of the quadrupole tensor and the internuclear vector. Here we demonstrate by numerical simulations that the actual dispersion of REAPDOR dephasing curves is quite small, provided the rotation speed and the RF amplitude applied to the quadrupolar nucleus satisfy an adiabaticity condition. The condition is easily met for (2)H and is also practically achievable for virtually any (14)N-containing compound. This allows the REAPDOR curves to be approximated by a simple universal gaussian-type function, comparison of which with experimental data yields internuclear distances with less than 4% error. The spin dynamics of the recoupling mechanism is discussed. The critical importance of a stable spinning speed for optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio of the (13)C echoes is demonstrated and practical suggestions for achieving high stability are presented. Examples of applications of the universal curve are given for (2)H/(13)C and (14)N/(13)C REAPDOR in alanine.

Sensitivity enhancement in structural measurements by solid state NMR through pulsed spin locking

Free induction decay (FID) signals in solid state NMR measurements performed with magic angle spinning can often be extended in time by factors on the order of 10 by a simple pulsed spin locking technique. The sensitivity of a structural measurement in which the structural information is contained in the dependence of the integrated FID amplitude on a preceding evolution period can therefore be enhanced substantially by pulsed spin locking in the signal detection period. We demonstrate sensitivity enhancements in a variety of solid state NMR techniques that are applicable to selectively isotopically labeled samples, including 13C-15N rotational echo double resonance (REDOR), 13C-13C dipolar recoupling measurements using the constant-time finite-pulse radio-frequency-driven recoupling (fpRFDR-CT) and constant-time double-quantum-filtered dipolar recoupling (CTDQFD) techniques, and torsion angle measurements using the double quantum chemical shift anisotropy (DQCSA) technique. Further, we demonstrate that the structural information in the solid state NMR data is not distorted by pulsed spin locking in the detection period.

High-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy in the solid state: very fast sample rotation and multiple-quantum coherences

In the past few years, solid-state 1H NMR spectroscopy under fast magic-angle spinning (MAS) has developed into a versatile tool for elucidating structure and dynamics. Dipolar multiple-quantum (MQ), in particular double-quantum (DQ), MAS spectroscopy has been applied to a variety of materials and provided unique insight, e.g., into the structure of hydrogen-bonded systems. This review intends to present solid-state 1H DQ and MQ MAS spectroscopy in a systematic fashion with a particular emphasis on methodological aspects, followed by an overview of applications.

Biomolecular solid state NMR: advances in structural methodology and applications to peptide and protein fibrils

Solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods can provide atomic-level structural constraints on peptides and proteins in forms that are not amenable to characterization by other high-resolution structural techniques, owing to insolubility, high molecular weight, noncrystallinity, or other characteristics. Important examples include peptide and protein fibrils and membrane-bound peptides and proteins. Recent advances in solid state NMR methodology aimed at structural problems in biological systems are reviewed. The power of these methods is illustrated by experimental results on amyloid fibrils and other protein fibrils.

An optimal strategy for recovering the deuterium (2H) quadrupolar interaction under magic-angle spinning NMR

By exploiting the homology in the form of the truncated high-field homonuclear dipole-dipole and quadrupole coupling Hamiltonians, we have previously demonstrated that a simple adaptation of a rotor-synchronized pulse sequence (DRAMA) used for the recovery of dipole-dipole couplings can also be used to resurrect quadrupole couplings (QUADRAMA). In the canonical implementation of these recovery pulse sequences, the couplings are not significantly scaled down from their static sample values. While such minimal scaling is of course desirable in the recovery of typical homonuclear dipolar couplings (< or =2 kHz) and small quadrupole couplings, it is clearly not ideal for the recovery of the much larger quadrupole couplings (20-200 kHz) often encountered in solid-state 2H NMR. In such a case, some prior knowledge of the order of magnitude of the coupling is required to optimize the experimental conditions for QUADRAMA. In order to overcome this drawback, in this study, we have developed a general and optimized strategy for implementing the QUADRAMA technique which does not require any knowledge of the size of the coupling vQ. Experimental tests of the optimized protocol demonstrate that by judicious choices of a combination of scaling factors and recoupling times, 2H quadrupole couplings ranging over an order of magnitude from 3 to 42 kHz can be measured. Since this optimized protocol can reliably be used to recover couplings over a broad range, it expands the range of systems accessible to study by 2H NMR into a realm where static sample NMR and simple MAS NMR may fail.

Adiabatic dipolar recoupling in solid-state NMR: the DREAM scheme

A theoretical treatment of the DREAM adiabatic homonuclear recoupling experiment is given using Floquet theory. An effective Hamiltonian is derived analytically and the time evolution of the density operator in the adiabatic limit is described. Shape cycles are proposed and characterized experimentally. Application to spin-pair filtering and as a mixing period in a 2D correlation experiment is explored and the experimental results are compared to theoretical predictions and exact numerical simulations.

Homonuclear vanadium-51 dipolar couplings in inorganic solids obtained via hahn spin echo decay NMR spectroscopy

Dipolar dephasing of the magnetization following a Hahn spin echo pulse sequence potentially provides a quantitative means for determining the dipolar second moment in solids. In this work, the possibility of employing Hahn spin echo decay spectroscopy to obtain quantitative 51V-51V dipolar second moments is explored. Theoretical spin echo response curves are compared to experimental ones for a collection of crystalline vanadium-containing compounds. This work suggests that 51V dipolar second moments can be obtained by selectively exciting the central m = 1/2 --> -1/2 by a Hahn echo sequence for vanadate compounds with line broadening no greater than approximately 220 ppm. For vanadates with greater broadening of the central transition due to chemical shift, second-order quadrupolar, and dipolar interactions, off-resonance effects lead to an oscillatory time dependence of the spin echo. Experimentally determined second moments of the normalized echo decay intensities lie within 10-33% of the calculated values if the second moments are extrapolated to zero evolution time due to the time scale dependence of spin exchange among neighboring vanadium nuclei. Alternatively, the second moments can be obtained to within 10-25% of the calculated values if the broadening of the central transition due to chemical shift and second-order quadrupolar effects can be estimated.

Spin-1/2 and beyond: a perspective in solid state NMR spectroscopy

Novel applications of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to the study of small molecules, synthetic polymers, biological systems, and inorganic materials continue at an accelerated rate. Instrumental to this uninterrupted expansion has been an improved understanding of the chemical physics underlying NMR. Such deeper understanding has led to novel forms of controlling the various components that make up the spin interactions, which have in turn redefined the analytical capabilities of solid state NMR measurements. This review presents a perspective on the basic phenomena and manipulations that have made this progress possible and describes the new opportunities and challenges that are being opened in the realms of spin-1/2 and quadrupole nuclei spectroscopies.

Sideband patterns from rotor-encoded longitudinal magnetization in MAS recoupling experiments

Recent multiple-quantum MAS NMR experiments have shown that a change in the rotor phase (and, hence, in the Hamiltonian) between the excitation and reconversion periods can lead to informative spinning-sideband patterns. However, such "rotor encoding" is not limited to multiple-quantum experiments. Here it is shown that longitudinal magnetization can also be rotor-encoded. Both homonuclear and heteronuclear rotor encoding of longitudinal magnetization (RELM) experiments are performed on dipolar-coupled spin-1/2 systems, and the corresponding sideband patterns in the indirect dimension are analyzed. In both cases, only even-order sidebands are produced, and their intensity distribution depends on the durations of the recoupling periods. In heteronuclear experiments using REDOR-type recoupling, purely dipolar sideband patterns that are entirely free of effects due to the chemical-shielding anisotropy can be generated. Advantages and disadvantages of the heteronuclear RELM experiment are discussed in the context of other methods used to measure heteronuclear dipolar couplings.

Compound radiofrequency-driven recoupling pulse sequences for efficient magnetization transfer by homonuclear dipolar interaction under magic-angle spinning conditions

The maximum of the transferred magnetization in rotating powdered solids under the radiofrequency-driven recoupling (RFDR) pulse sequence is enhanced by reducing the orientation dependence of the effective recoupled homonuclear dipolar interaction. The compound RFDR (CRFDR) pulse sequence for this enhancement consists of RFDR pulse units (tau(i)-pi-tau(R)-pi-1171;tau(i)) with different tau(i), where tau(R) is the sample rotation period, tau(i) and 1171;tau(i) (=tau(R) - tau(i)) are delays, and pi is a 180 degrees pulse. The delay tau(i) modifies the zero-quantum spin operators and the sample rotation-angle dependence of the recoupled dipolar Hamiltonian. The CRFDR pulse sequences were optimized for mixing by varying tau(i). Numerical simulation for the two-spin system only with a dipolar interaction and isotropic chemical shifts indicates that the transfer efficiency of CRFDR averaged over the powder is about 70%, which is 30% higher than the efficiency of the RFDR pulse over a broad range of about 1/tau(R) in resonance frequency difference. The CRFDR sequences need about 60% longer mixing times to maximize the transferred magnetizaion in comparison with the original RFDR sequence. Chemical shift anisotropy, the other dipolar interactions, and relaxation generally reduce the enhancement by CRFDR. Experiments for fully (13)C-labeled alanine, however, show that the maximum of the magnetization transferred with CRFDR from the carboxyl to alpha carbon is about 15% greater than that with RFDR. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Sensitivity enhancement in solid state (15)N NMR by indirect detection with high-speed magic angle spinning

Enhancement of sensitivity in solid state (15)N NMR by indirect detection through (1)H NMR signals under high-speed magic angle spinning and high-field conditions is demonstrated experimentally on two (15)N-labeled peptides, polycrystalline AlaGlyGly and the helix-forming, 17-residue peptide MB(i + 4)EK in lyophilized form. Sensitivity enhancement factors ranging from 2.0 to 3.2 are observed experimentally, depending on the (15)N and (1)H linewidths and polarization transfer efficiencies. The (1)H-detected two-dimensional (1)H/(15)N correlation spectrum of AlaGlyGly illustrates the possibility of increased spectral resolution and resonance assignments in indirectly detected experiments, in addition to the sensitivity enhancement.

Analysis of dipolar-coupling-mediated coherence transfer in a homonuclear two spin-12 solid-state system

Homonuclear dipolar-mediated coherence transfer (DCT), a through-space transfer of magnetization between like spins, can yield otherwise difficult-to-obtain structural information for macromolecules by measuring the internuclear distances between two sites of interest. The behavior of a spin-12 system under DCT is analyzed in detail by computing the time development of the density matrix using the product operator formalism. The effect of coherence transfer (CT) via the homonuclear isotropic scalar coupling on DCT is examined. Analytical and computational results that yield useful information on the frequencies, first-maxima, and first-zero of CT for a uniaxially oriented or a single-crystal solid-state system are presented. The results predict that the evolution of the spin angular momentum operators under the homonuclear dipolar coupling Hamiltonian leads to "cylindrical mixing" unlike "isotropic mixing" due to the strong scalar coupling Hamiltonian. These results will find relevance in both the design of RF pulse sequences for the structural studies of uniaxially oriented biological solids and the interpretation of solution NMR results from proteins embedded in partially oriented bicelles. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

A comparison between REDOR and theta-REDOR for measuring (13)C-(2)D dipolar interactions in solids

(13)C-observe REDOR and theta-REDOR experiments for recovering the (13)C-(2)D dipolar interaction during MAS NMR are compared. It is found that limited (2)D RF power may severely compromise the performance of the REDOR experiment whereas the theta-REDOR experiment can be designed to work well. Results are presented for an isolated (13)C-(2)D spin pair with a large deuterium quadrupolar coupling constant and for a (13)C coupled to three methyl deuterons undergoing fast methyl group rotation.

13C-13C rotational resonance in a transmembrane peptide: a comparison of the fluid and gel phases

A comparative study of two doubly 13C labeled amphiphilic transmembrane peptides was undertaken to determine the potential of rotational resonance for measuring internuclear distances through the direct dipolar coupling in the presence of motion. The two peptides, having the sequence acetyl-K2-G-L16-K2-A-amide, differed only in the position of 13C labels. The first peptide, [1-13C]leu(11):[alpha-13C]leu(12), had labels on adjacent residues, at the carbonyl of leu(11) and the alpha carbon of leu(12). The second, [1-13C]leu(8):[alpha-(13)/C]leu(11), was labeled on consecutive turns of the alpha-helical peptide. The internuclear distance between labeled positions of the first peptide, which for an ideal alpha helix has a value of 2.48 A, is relatively independent of internal flexibility or peptide conformational change. The dipolar coupling between these two nuclei is sensitive to motional averaging by molecular reorientation, however, making this peptide ideal for investigating these motions. The internuclear distance between labels on the second peptide has an expected static ideal alpha-helix value of 4.6 A, but this is sensitive to internal flexibility. In addition, the dipolar coupling between these two nuclei is much weaker because of their larger separation, making this peptide a much more difficult test of the rotational resonance technique. The dipolar couplings between the labeled nuclei of these two peptides were measured by rotational resonance in the dry peptide powders and in multilamellar dispersions with dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine in the gel phase, at -10 degrees C, and in the fluid phase, at 40 degrees C. The results for the peptide having adjacent labels can be readily interpreted in terms of a simple model for the peptide motion. The results for the second peptide show that, in the fluid phase, the motionally averaged dipolar coupling is too small to be measured by rotational resonance. Rotational resonance, rotational echo double resonance, and related techniques can be used to obtain reliable and valuable dipolar couplings in static solid and membrane systems. The interpretation of these couplings in terms of internuclear distances is straightforward in the absence of molecular motion. These techniques hold considerable promise for membrane protein structural studies under conditions, such as at low temperatures, where molecular motion does not modulate the dipolar couplings. However, a typical membrane at physiological temperatures exhibits complex molecular motions. In the absence of an accurate and detailed description of both internal and whole body molecular motions, it is unlikely that techniques of this type, which are based on extracting distances from direct internuclear dipolar couplings, can be used to study molecular structure under these conditions. Furthermore, the reduction in the strengths of the dipolar couplings by these motions dramatically reduces the useful range of distances which can be measured.

Measurements of chain length distributions in calcium phosphate glasses using 2D 31P double quantum NMR

31P double quantum (DQ) NMR is used for improved studies of the structure of phosphate glasses. The common Qn notation of the network forming tetrahedral phosphate units with n bridging oxygen atoms is extended to Qn,jkl indicating the Q type of the bonded adjacent units by the additional superscripts j,k and l. It will be shown that: (i) Q1 units have different isotropic chemical shifts depending on whether they form diphosphate anions in the amorphous state (Q1,1) or end groups of chains (Q1,2) and (ii) that even Q2 units possess different isotropic chemical shifts such that in the DQ dimension Q2,11 can be distinguished from Q2,12 and middle groups of longer chains or rings (Q2,22). Based on this result the opportunity for measuring chain length distributions in the amorphous state is discussed and first results for binary calcium phosphate glasses are presented. The advantages and also the limitations of this novel approach will be discussed.