Advances in NMR Spectroscopy of Weakly Aligned Biomolecular Systems

The measurement and application of residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) in solution NMR studies of biological macromolecules has become well established over the past quarter of a century. Numerous methods for generating the requisite anisotropic orientational molecular distribution have been demonstrated, each with its specific strengths and weaknesses. In parallel, an enormous number of pulse schemes have been introduced to measure the many different types of RDCs, ranging from the most widely measured backbone amide ¹⁵N-¹H RDCs, to ¹H-¹H RDCs and couplings between low-γ nuclei. Applications of RDCs range from structure validation and refinement to the determination of relative domain orientations, the measurement of backbone and domain motions, and de novo structure determination. Nevertheless, it appears that the power of the RDC methodology remains underutilized. This review aims to highlight the practical aspects of sample preparation and RDC measurement while describing some of the most straightforward applications that take advantage of the exceptionally precise information contained in such data. Some emphasis will be placed on more recent developments that enable the accurate measurement of RDCs in larger systems, which is key to the ongoing shift in focus of biological NMR spectroscopy from structure determination toward gaining improved understanding of how molecular flexibility drives protein function.

Remarkable Rigidity of the Single α-Helical Domain of Myosin-VI As Revealed by NMR Spectroscopy

Although the α-helix has long been recognized as an all-important element of secondary structure, it generally requires stabilization by tertiary interactions with other parts of a protein's structure. Highly charged single α-helical (SAH) domains, consisting of a high percentage (>75%) of Arg, Lys, and Glu residues, are exceptions to this rule but have been difficult to characterize structurally. Our study focuses on the 68-residue medial tail domain of myosin-VI, which is found to contain a highly ordered α-helical structure extending from Glu-6 to Lys-63. High hydrogen exchange protection factors (15-150), small (ca. 4 Hz) 3 JHNHα couplings, and a near-perfect fit to an ideal model α-helix for its residual dipolar couplings (RDCs), measured in a filamentous phage medium, support the high regularity of this helix. Remarkably, the hydrogen exchange rates are far more homogeneous than the protection factors derived from them, suggesting that for these transiently broken helices the intrinsic exchange rates derived from the amino acid sequence are not appropriate reference values. 15N relaxation data indicate a very high degree of rotational diffusion anisotropy ( D∥/ D⊥ ≈ 7.6), consistent with the hydrodynamic behavior predicted for such a long, nearly straight α-helix. Alignment of the helix by a paramagnetic lanthanide ion attached to its N-terminal region shows a decrease in alignment as the distance from the tagging site increases. This decrease yields a precise measure for the persistence length of 224 ± 10 Å at 20 °C, supporting the idea that the role of the SAH helix is to act as an extension of the myosin-VI lever arm.

Monitoring Hydrogen Exchange During Protein Folding by Fast Pressure Jump NMR Spectroscopy

A method is introduced that permits direct observation of the rates at which backbone amide hydrogens become protected from solvent exchange after rapidly dropping the hydrostatic pressure inside the NMR sample cell from denaturing (2.5 kbar) to native (1 bar) conditions. The method is demonstrated for a pressure-sensitized ubiquitin variant that contains two Val to Ala mutations. Increased protection against hydrogen exchange with solvent is monitored as a function of time during the folding process. Results for 53 backbone amides show narrow clustering with protection occurring with a time constant of ca. 85 ms, but slower protection is observed around a reverse turn near the C-terminus of the protein. Remarkably, the native NMR spectrum returns with this slower time constant of ca. 150 ms, indicating that the almost fully folded protein retains molten globule characteristics with severe NMR line broadening until the final hydrogen bonds are formed. Prior to crossing the transition state barrier, hydrogen exchange protection factors are close to unity, but with slightly elevated values in the β₁-β₂ hairpin, previously shown to be already lowly populated in the urea-denatured state.

Sparse multidimensional iterative lineshape-enhanced (SMILE) reconstruction of both non-uniformly sampled and conventional NMR data

Implementation of a new algorithm, SMILE, is described for reconstruction of non-uniformly sampled two-, three- and four-dimensional NMR data, which takes advantage of the known phases of the NMR spectrum and the exponential decay of underlying time domain signals. The method is very robust with respect to the chosen sampling protocol and, in its default mode, also extends the truncated time domain signals by a modest amount of non-sampled zeros. SMILE can likewise be used to extend conventional uniformly sampled data, as an effective multidimensional alternative to linear prediction. The program is provided as a plug-in to the widely used NMRPipe software suite, and can be used with default parameters for mainstream application, or with user control over the iterative process to possibly further improve reconstruction quality and to lower the demand on computational resources. For large data sets, the method is robust and demonstrated for sparsities down to ca 1%, and final all-real spectral sizes as large as 300 Gb. Comparison between fully sampled, conventionally processed spectra and randomly selected NUS subsets of this data shows that the reconstruction quality approaches the theoretical limit in terms of peak position fidelity and intensity. SMILE essentially removes the noise-like appearance associated with the point-spread function of signals that are a default of five-fold above the noise level, but impacts the actual thermal noise in the NMR spectra only minimally. Therefore, the appearance and interpretation of SMILE-reconstructed spectra is very similar to that of fully sampled spectra generated by Fourier transformation.

ARTSY-J: Convenient and precise measurement of (3)JHNHα couplings in medium-size proteins from TROSY-HSQC spectra

A new and convenient method, named ARTSY-J, is introduced that permits extraction of the (3)JHNHα couplings in proteins from the relative intensities in a pair of (15)N-(1)H TROSY-HSQC spectra. The pulse scheme includes (3)JHNHα dephasing of the narrower TROSY (1)H(N)-{(15)N} doublet component during a delay, integrated into the regular two-dimensional TROSY-HSQC pulse scheme, and compares the obtained intensity with a reference spectrum where (3)JHNHα dephasing is suppressed. The effect of passive (1)H(α) spin flips downscales the apparent (3)JHNHα coupling by a uniform factor that depends approximately linearly on both the duration of the (3)JHNHα dephasing delay and the (1)H-(1)H cross relaxation rate. Using such a correction factor, which accounts for the effects of both inhomogeneity of the radiofrequency field and (1)H(α) spin flips, agreement between prior and newly measured values for the small model protein GB3 is better than 0.3Hz. Measurement for the HIV-1 protease homodimer (22kDa) yields (3)JHNHα values that agree to better than 0.7Hz with predictions made on the basis of a previously parameterized Karplus equation. Although for Gly residues the two individual (3)JHNHα couplings cannot be extracted from a single set of ARTSY-J spectra, the measurement provides valuable ϕ angle information.

NMR studies of dynamic biomolecular conformational ensembles

Multidimensional heteronuclear NMR approaches can provide nearly complete sequential signal assignments of isotopically enriched biomolecules. The availability of assignments together with measurements of spin relaxation rates, residual spin interactions, J-couplings and chemical shifts provides information at atomic resolution about internal dynamics on timescales ranging from ps to ms, both in solution and in the solid state. However, due to the complexity of biomolecules, it is not possible to extract a unique atomic-resolution description of biomolecular motions even from extensive NMR data when many conformations are sampled on multiple timescales. For this reason, powerful computational approaches are increasingly applied to large NMR data sets to elucidate conformational ensembles sampled by biomolecules. In the past decade, considerable attention has been directed at an important class of biomolecules that function by binding to a wide variety of target molecules. Questions of current interest are: "Does the free biomolecule sample a conformational ensemble that encompasses the conformations found when it binds to various targets; and if so, on what time scale is the ensemble sampled?" This article reviews recent efforts to answer these questions, with a focus on comparing ensembles obtained for the same biomolecules by different investigators. A detailed comparison of results obtained is provided for three biomolecules: ubiquitin, calmodulin and the HIV-1 trans-activation response RNA.

Atomic-resolution dynamics on the surface of amyloid-β protofibrils probed by solution NMR

Exchange dynamics between molecules free in solution and bound to the surface of a large supramolecular structure, a polymer, a membrane or solid support are important in many phenomena in biology and materials science. Here we present a novel and generally applicable solution NMR technique, known as dark-state exchange saturation transfer (DEST), to probe such exchange phenomena with atomic resolution. This is illustrated by the exchange reaction between amyloid-β (Aβ) monomers and polydisperse, NMR-invisible ('dark') protofibrils, a process of significant interest because the accumulation of toxic, aggregated forms of Aβ, from small oligomers to very large assemblies, has been implicated in the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease. The (15)N-DEST experiment imprints with single-residue-resolution dynamic information on the protofibril-bound species in the form of (15)N transverse relaxation rates ((15)N-R(2)) and exchange kinetics between monomers and protofibrils onto the easily observed two-dimensional (1)H-(15)N correlation spectrum of the monomer. The exchanging species on the protofibril surface comprise an ensemble of sparsely populated states where each residue is either tethered to (through other residues) or in direct contact with the surface. The first eight residues exist predominantly in a mobile tethered state, whereas the largely hydrophobic central region and part of the carboxy (C)-terminal hydrophobic region are in direct contact with the protofibril surface for a significant proportion of the time. The C-terminal residues of both Aβ40 and Aβ42 display lower affinity for the protofibril surface, indicating that they are likely to be surface exposed rather than buried as in structures of Aβ fibrils, and might therefore comprise the critical nucleus for fibril formation. The values, however, are significantly larger for the C-terminal residues of Aβ42 than Aβ40, which might explain the former's higher propensity for rapid aggregation and fibril formation.

Dynamics of biomolecules from picoseconds to seconds at atomic resolution

Although biomolecular dynamics has been investigated using NMR for at least 40 years, only in the past 20 years have internal motions been characterized at atomic resolution throughout proteins and nucleic acids. This development was made possible by multidimensional heteronuclear NMR approaches that provide near complete sequential signal assignments of uniformly labeled biomolecules. Recent methodological advances have enabled characterization of internal dynamics on timescales ranging from picoseconds to seconds, both in solution and in the solid state. The size, complexity and functional significance of biomolecules investigated by NMR continue to grow, as do the insights that have been obtained about function. In this article I review a number of recent advances that have made such studies possible, and provide a few examples of where NMR either by itself or in combination with other approaches has paved the way to a better understanding of the complex relationship between dynamics and biomolecular function. Finally, I discuss prospects for further advances in this field.

Measuring rapid hydrogen exchange in the homodimeric 36 kDa HIV-1 integrase catalytic core domain

Measurements of rapid hydrogen exchange (HX) of water with protein amide sites contain valuable information on protein structure and function, but current NMR methods for measuring HX rates are limited in their applicability to large protein systems. An alternate method for measuring rapid HX is presented that is well-suited for larger proteins, and we apply the method to the deuterated, homodimeric 36 kDa HIV-1 integrase catalytic core domain (CCD). Using long mixing times for water-amide magnetization exchange at multiple pH values, HX rates spanning more than four orders of magnitude were measured, as well as NOE cross-relaxation rates to nearby exchangeable protons. HX protection factors for the CCD are found to be large (>10(4)) for residues along the dimer interface, but much smaller in many other regions. Notably, the catalytic helix (residues 152-167) exhibits low HX protection at both ends, indicative of fraying at both termini as opposed to just the N-terminal end, as originally thought. Residues in the LEDGF/p75 binding pocket also show marginal stability, with protection factors in the 10-100 range (∼1.4-2.7 kcal/mol). Additionally, elevated NOE cross-relaxation rates are identified and, as expected, correspond to proximity of the amide proton to a rapidly exchanging proton, typically from an OH side chain. Indirect NOE transfer between H(2) O and the amide proton of I141, a residue in the partially disordered active site of the enzyme, suggests its proximity to the side chain of S147, an interaction seen in the DNA-bound form for a homologous integrase.

Kinetics of amyloid beta monomer-to-oligomer exchange by NMR relaxation

Recent studies have implicated non-fibrillar oligomers of the amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide as the primary toxic species in Alzheimer's disease. Detailed structural and kinetic characterization of these states, however, has been difficult. Here we use NMR relaxation measurements to address the kinetics of exchange between monomeric and large, polymorphic oligomeric species of Abeta(1-40). (15)N and (1)H(N) R(2) data at multiple magnetic fields were recorded for several peptide concentrations subsequent to the establishment of a stable pseudo-equilibrium between monomeric and NMR-invisible soluble oligomeric species. The increase in (15)N and (1)H(N) R(2) rates as a function of protein concentration is independent of nucleus and magnetic field and shows only a small degree of variation along the peptide chain. This phenomenon is due to a lifetime broadening effect arising from the unidirectional conversion of monomer to the NMR-invisible oligomeric species ("dark" state). At a total Abeta(1-40) concentration of 300 microM, the apparent first-order rate constant for this process is approximately 3 s(-1). Fitting the McConnell equations for two dipolar-coupled spins in two-site exchange to transfer-of-saturation profiles at two radiofrequency field strengths gives an estimate for k(off) of 73 s(-1) and transiently bound monomer (1)H(N) R(2) rates of up to 42,000 s(-1) in the tightly bound central hydrophobic region and approximately 300 s(-1) in the disordered regions, such as the first nine residues. The fraction of peptide within the "dark" oligomeric state undergoing exchange with free monomer is calculated to be approximately 3%.

Slight mistuning of a cryogenic probe significantly perturbs the water 1H precession frequency

A shift of the water proton precession frequency is described that can introduce errors in chemical shifts derived using the water signal as the chemical shift reference. This shift, f(s), arises as a consequence of radiation damping when the water proton and detector circuit resonance frequencies differ. Herein it is shown that experimental values of f(s), measured as a function of detector circuit tuning offset for 500 and 900 MHz cryogenic probes, are in good agreement with theory. Of importance is the fact that even a small degree of mistuning, which does not significantly impact the performance of a pulse sequence, introduces chemical shift errors of +/-0.03 ppm, that negatively impact many types of experiments. A simple remedy that attenuates the frequency shift is presented.

Mobility and Function in Elastin and Collagen

13C- and 2H-labelled amino acids have been incorporated into elastin and collagen and rotational correlation times of the labelled sites have been derived from an analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation parameters and line-shapes. The elastin experiments were designed to discriminate between the various models that have been proposed to account for the rubber-like elasticity of elastin. The correlation times of carbonyl carbons of the elastin backbone show that elastin chains are very flexible at the molecular level. In addition, the molecular dynamics and viscoelastic behaviour of elastin are well correlated over a wide range of temperatures and solvents. These results all support the rubber-like network model of elastin structure. The collagen experiments were designed to investigate the intermolecular interactions between molecules in collagen fibres. Correlation times of labelled sites in the collagen backbone and side-chains show that substantial flexibility, especially of the side-chains, takes place in reconstituted (non-cross-linked) collagen fibrils. Therefore, the interactions between side-chains that presumably direct and stabilize the fibrillar assembly take place in fluid domains. The molecular flexibility is not affected by the presence of cross-links but is absent when the collagen is mineralized.

Simultaneous NMR study of protein structure and dynamics using conservative mutagenesis

A novel iterative procedure is described that allows both the orientation and dynamics of internuclear bond vectors to be determined from direct interpretation of NMR dipolar couplings, measured under at least three orthogonal alignment conditions. If five orthogonal alignments are available, the approach also yields information on the degree of motional anisotropy and the direction in which the largest amplitude internal motion of each bond vector takes place. The method is demonstrated for the backbone (15)N-(1)H, (13)C(alpha)-(1)H(alpha), and (13)C(alpha)-13C' interactions in the previously well-studied protein domain GB3, dissolved in a liquid crystalline suspension of filamentous phage Pf1. Alignment variation is achieved by using conservative mutations of charged surface residues. Results indicate remarkably uniform backbone dynamics, with amplitudes that agree well with those of previous (15)N relaxation studies for most residues involved in elements of secondary structure, but larger amplitude dynamics than those found by (15)N relaxation for residues in loop and turn regions. In agreement with a previous analysis of dipolar couplings, the N-H bonds in the second beta-strand, which is involved in antibody recognition, show elevated dynamics with largest amplitudes orthogonal to the chain direction.

Mutational and Structural Studies Aimed at Characterizing the Monomer of HIV-1 Protease and Its Precursor

An experimental protocol for folding the mature human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) protease is presented that facilitates NMR studies at a low protein concentration of approximately 20 micoM. Under these conditions, NMR spectra show that the mature protease lacking its terminal beta-sheet residues 1-4 and 96-99 (PR(5-95)) exhibits a stable monomer fold spanning the region 10-90 that is similar to that of the single subunit of the wild-type dimer and the dimer bearing a D25N mutation (PR(D25N)). Urea-induced unfolding monitored both by changes in (1)H-(15)N heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectra and by protein fluorescence indicates that although PR(5-95) monomer displays a transition profile similar to that of the PR(D25N) dimer (50% unfolded (U(50)) = approximately 1.9 M), extending the protease with 4 residues (SFNF) of its N-terminally flanking sequence in the Gag-Pol precursor ((SFNF)PR(D25N)) decreases the stability of the fold (U(50) = approximately 1.5 M). Assigned backbone chemical shifts were used to elucidate differences in the stability of the PR(T26A) (U(50) = 2.5 M) and (SFNF)PR(D25N) monomers and compared with PR(D25N/T26A) monomer. Discernible differences in the backbone chemical shifts were observed for N-terminal protease residues 3-6 of (SFNF)PR(D25N) that may relate to the increase in the equilibrium dissociation constant (K(d)) and the very low catalytic activity of the protease prior to its autoprocessing at its N terminus from the Gag-Pol precursor.

Accuracy of optimized chemical-exchange parameters derived by fitting CPMG R2 dispersion profiles when R2(0a) not = R2(0b)

The transverse relaxation rate, R2, measured as a function of the effective field (R2 dispersion) using a Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse train, is well suited to detect conformational exchange in proteins. The dispersion data are commonly fitted by a two-site (sites a and b) exchange model with four parameters: the relative population, pa, the difference in chemical shifts of the two sites, deltaomega, the correlation time for exchange, tau(ex), and the intrinsic relaxation rate (i.e., transverse relaxation rate in the absence of chemical exchange), R2(0). Although the intrinsic relaxation rates of the two sites, R2(0a) and R2(0b), can differ, they are normally assumed to be the same (i.e., R2(0a) = R2(0b) = R2(0)) when fitting dispersion data. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the magnitudes of the errors in the optimized exchange parameters that are introduced by the assumption that R2(0a) = R2(0b). In order to accomplish this goal, we first generated synthetic constant-time CPMG R2 dispersion data assuming two-site exchange with R2(0a) not equal R2(0b), and then fitted the synthetic data assuming two-site exchange with R2(0) = R2(0a) = R2(0b). Although all the synthetic data generated assuming R2(0a) not equal R2(0b) were well fitted (assuming R2(0a) = R2(0b)), the optimized values of pa and tau(ex) differed from their true values, whereas the optimized values of deltaomega values did not. A theoretical analysis using the Carver-Richards equation explains these results, and yields simple, general equations for estimating the magnitudes of the errors in the optimized parameters, as a function of (R2(0a) - R2(0b)).

Error estimation and global fitting in transverse-relaxation dispersion experiments to determine chemical-exchange parameters

Off-resonance effects can introduce significant systematic errors in R2 measurements in constant-time Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) transverse relaxation dispersion experiments. For an off-resonance chemical shift of 500 Hz, 15N relaxation dispersion profiles obtained from experiment and computer simulation indicated a systematic error of ca. 3%. This error is three- to five-fold larger than the random error in R2 caused by noise. Good estimates of total R2 uncertainty are critical in order to obtain accurate estimates in optimized chemical exchange parameters and their uncertainties derived from chi2 minimization of a target function. Here, we present a simple empirical approach that provides a good estimate of the total error (systematic + random) in 15N R2 values measured for the HIV protease. The advantage of this empirical error estimate is that it is applicable even when some of the factors that contribute to the off-resonance error are not known. These errors are incorporated into a chi2 minimization protocol, in which the Carver-Richards equation is used fit the observed R2 dispersion profiles, that yields optimized chemical exchange parameters and their confidence limits. Optimized parameters are also derived, using the same protein sample and data-fitting protocol, from 1H R2 measurements in which systematic errors are negligible. Although 1H and 15N relaxation profiles of individual residues were well fit, the optimized exchange parameters had large uncertainties (confidence limits). In contrast, when a single pair of exchange parameters (the exchange lifetime, tau(ex), and the fractional population, p(a)), were constrained to globally fit all R2 profiles for residues in the dimer interface of the protein, confidence limits were less than 8% for all optimized exchange parameters. In addition, F-tests showed that quality of the fits obtained using tau(ex), p(a) as global parameters were not improved when these parameters were free to fit the R2 profiles of individual residues. Finally, nearly the same optimized global tau(ex), p(a) values were obtained, when the 1H and 15N data sets for residues in the dimer interface, were fit independently; the difference in optimized global parameters, ca. 10%, was of marginal significance according to the F-test.

Carbonyl carbon transverse relaxation dispersion measurements and ms-micros timescale motion in a protein hydrogen bond network

A constant-time, Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) transverse relaxation, R(2), dispersion experiment for carbonyl carbons was designed and executed to detect micros-ms time-scale dynamics of protein backbone carbonyl sites. Because of the large (ca. 55 Hz) C(alpha)-C' J-coupling, the carbonyl signal intensity is strongly modulated as the spacing between CPMG pulses is varied, in uniformly (13)C enriched proteins, unless care is taken to minimize the perturbation of the C(alpha) magnetization by the CPMG pulses. CPMG pulse trains consisting of either a band-selective pulse, such as RE-BURP, or rectangular (with an excitation null in the C(alpha) region of the spectrum) pulses were employed in order to minimize C' signal modulation by C(alpha)-C' J-coupling. The performance of these types of CPMG refocusing pulses was assessed by computer simulation, and by comparing dispersion profiles measured for (1) uniformly [(13)C,(15)N, (2)H] ((2)H at non-labile hydrogen sites) labeled, and (2) uniformly (15)N/selectively-(13)C' labeled samples of HIV-1 protease bound to a potent inhibitor, DMP323. In addition, because the uniformly (13)C/(15)N/(2)H labeled sample was well suited to measure (15)N and (1)H R(2) dispersion as well as (13)C' dispersion, conformational exchange in the inter subunit beta-sheet hydrogen-bond network of the inhibitor-bound protease was elucidated using relaxation dispersion data of all three types of nuclei.

Solution structure of the mature HIV-1 protease monomer: insight into the tertiary fold and stability of a precursor

We present the first solution structure of the HIV-1 protease monomer spanning the region Phe1-Ala95 (PR1-95). Except for the terminal regions (residues 1-10 and 91-95) that are disordered, the tertiary fold of the remainder of the protease is essentially identical to that of the individual subunit of the dimer. In the monomer, the side chains of buried residues stabilizing the active site interface in the dimer, such as Asp25, Asp29, and Arg87, are now exposed to solvent. The flap dynamics in the monomer are similar to that of the free protease dimer. We also show that the protease domain of an optimized precursor flanked by 56 amino acids of the N-terminal transframe region is predominantly monomeric, exhibiting a tertiary fold that is quite similar to that of PR1-95 structure. This explains the very low catalytic activity observed for the protease prior to its maturation at its N terminus as compared with the mature protease, which is an active stable dimer under identical conditions. Adding as few as 2 amino acids to the N terminus of the mature protease significantly increases its dissociation into monomers. Knowledge of the protease monomer structure and critical features of its dimerization may aid in the screening and design of compounds that target the protease prior to its maturation from the Gag-Pol precursor.

A solution NMR study of the binding kinetics and the internal dynamics of an HIV-1 protease-substrate complex

NMR studies of the binding of a substrate to an inactive HIV-1 protease construct, containing an active site mutation PR(D25N), are reported. Substrate titration measurements monitored by HSQC spectra and a (15)N-edited NOESY experiment show that the chromogenic substrate analog of the capsid/p2 cleavage site binds to PR(D25N) with an equilibrium dissociation constant, K(D), of 0.27 +/- 0.05 mM, and upper limits of the association and dissociation rate constants, 2 x 10(4) M(-1)s(-1) and 10 s(-1), respectively, at 20 degrees C, pH 5.8. This association rate constant is not in the diffusion limit, suggesting that association is controlled by a rare event, such as opening of the protease flaps. Analysis of (15)N relaxation experiments reveals a slight reduction of S(2) values in the flap region, indicating a small increase in the amplitude of internal motion on the sub-nsec timescale. In addition, several residues in the flap region are mobile on the conformational exchange timescale, msec-microsec. Flap dynamics of the protease-substrate complex are compared with those of protease-inhibitor complexes, and the implications of these results for substrate-binding models are discussed.

Extending the range of amide proton relaxation dispersion experiments in proteins using a constant-time relaxation-compensated CPMG approach

Relaxation compensated constant-time Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill relaxation dispersion experiments for amide protons are presented that detect mus-ms time-scale dynamics of protein backbone amide sites. Because of their ten-fold larger magnetogyric ratio, much shorter 180 degrees pulses can be applied to (1)H than to (15)N spins; therefore, off-resonance effects are reduced and a wider range of effective rf fields can often be used in the case of (1)H experiments. Applications to [(1)H-(15)N]-ubiquitin and [(1)H-(15)N]-perdeuterated HIV-1 protease are discussed. In the case of ubiquitin, we present a pulse sequence that reduces artifacts that arise from homonuclear (3)J(H(N)-H(alpha)) coupling. In the case of the protease, we show that relaxation dispersion of both (1)H and (15)N spins provides a more comprehensive picture of slow backbone dynamics than does the relaxation dispersion of either spin alone. We also compare the relative merits of (1)H versus (15)N transverse relaxation measurements and note the benefits of using a perdeuterated protein to measure the relaxation dispersion of both spin types.

Revisiting monomeric HIV-1 protease. Characterization and redesign for improved properties

Interactions between the C-terminal interface residues (96-99) of the mature HIV-1 protease were shown to be essential for dimerization, whereas the N-terminal residues () and Arg(87) contribute to dimer stability (Ishima, R., Ghirlando, R., Tozser, J., Gronenborn, A. M., Torchia, D. A., and Louis, J. M. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 49110-49116). Here we show that the intramonomer interaction between the side chains of Asp(29) and Arg(87) influences dimerization significantly more than the intermonomer interaction between Asp(29) and Arg(8'). Several mutants, including T26A, destablize the dimer, exhibit a monomer fold, and are prone to aggregation. To alleviate this undesirable property, we designed proteins in which the N- and C-terminal regions can be linked intramolecularly by disulfide bonds. In particular, cysteine residues were introduced at positions 2 and 97 or 98. A procedure for the efficient preparation of intrachain-linked polypeptides is presented, and it is demonstrated that the Q2C/L97C variant exhibits a native-like single subunit fold. It is anticipated that monomeric proteases of this kind will aid in the discovery of novel inhibitors aimed at binding to the monomer at the dimerization interface. This extends the target area of current inhibitors, all of which bind across the active site formed by both subunits in the active dimer.

Biosynthetically directed fractional 13C labeling facilitates identification of Phe and Tyr aromatic signals in proteins

Analysis of 2D [(13)C,(1)H]-HSQC spectra of biosynthetic fractionally (13)C labeled proteins is a reliable, straightforward means to obtain stereospecific assignments of Val and Leu methyl sites in proteins. Herein we show that the same fractionally labeled protein sample facilitates observation and identification of Phe and Tyr aromatic signals. This is the case, in part, because the fractional (13)C labeling yields aromatic rings in which some of the (13)C-(13)C J-couplings, present in uniformly labeled samples, are absent. Also, the number of homonuclear J-coupling partners differs for the delta-, epsilon- and zeta-carbons. This enabled us to vary their signal intensities in distinctly different ways by appropriately setting the (13)C constant-time period in 2D [(13)C,(1)H]-HSQC spectra. We illustrate the application of this approach to an 18 kDa protein, c-VIAF, a modulator of apoptosis. In addition, we show that cancellation of the aromatic (13)C CSA and (13)C-(1)H dipolar interactions can be fruitfully utilized in the case of the fractionally labeled sample to obtain high resolution (13)C constant-time spectra with good sensitivity.

An NMR experiment for the accurate measurement of heteronuclear spin-lock relaxation rates

Rotating-frame relaxation rates, R(1)(rho), are often measured in NMR studies of protein dynamics. We show here that large systematic errors can be introduced into measured values of heteronuclear R(1)(rho) rates using schemes which are usually employed to suppress cross-correlation between dipole-dipole and CSA relaxation mechanisms. For example, in a scalar-coupled two-spin X-H spin system the use of (1)H WALTZ16 decoupling or (1)H pulses applied at regularly spaced intervals leads to a significant overestimation of heteronuclear R(1)(rho) values. The problem is studied experimentally and theoretically for (15)N-(1)H and (13)C-(1)H spin pairs, and simple schemes are described which eliminate the artifacts. The approaches suggested are essential replacements of existing methodology if accurate dynamics parameters are to be extracted from spin-lock relaxation data sets.

Rapid structural fluctuations of the free HIV protease flaps in solution: relationship to crystal structures and comparison with predictions of dynamics calculations

Crystal structures have shown that the HIV-1 protease flaps, domains that control access to the active site, are closed when the active site is occupied by a ligand. Although flap structures ranging from closed to semi-open are observed in the free protease, crystal structures reveal that even the semi-open flaps block access to the active site, indicating that the flaps are mobile in solution. The goals of this paper are to characterize the secondary structure and fast (sub-ns) dynamics of the flaps of the free protease in solution, to relate these results to X-ray structures and to compare them with predictions of dynamics calculations. To this end we have obtained nearly complete backbone and many sidechain signal assignments of a fully active free-protease construct that is stabilized against autoproteolysis by three point mutations. The secondary structure of this protein was characterized using the chemical shift index, measurements of (3h)J(NC') couplings across hydrogen bonds, and NOESY connectivities. Analysis of these measurements indicates that the protease secondary structure becomes irregular near the flap tips, residues 49-53. Model-free analysis of (15)N relaxation parameters, T(1), T(2) (T(1rho)) and (15)N-[(1)H] NOE, shows that residues in the flap tips are flexible on the sub-ns time scale, in contrast with previous observations on the inhibitor-bound protease. These results are compared with theoretical predictions of flap dynamics and the possible biological significance of the sub-ns time scale dynamics of the flap tips is discussed.

Folded monomer of HIV-1 protease

The mature human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease rapidly folds into an enzymatically active stable dimer, exhibiting an intricate interplay between structure formation and dimerization. We now show by NMR and sedimentation equilibrium studies that a mutant protease containing the R87K substitution (PR(R87K)) within the highly conserved Gly(86)-Arg(87)-Asn(88) sequence forms a monomer with a fold similar to a single subunit of the dimer. However, binding of the inhibitor DMP323 to PR(R87K) produces a stable dimer complex. Based on the crystal structure and our NMR results, we postulate that loss of specific interactions involving the side chain of Arg(87) destabilizes PR(R87K) by perturbing the inner C-terminal beta-sheet (residues 96-99 from each monomer), a region that is sandwiched between the two beta-strands formed by the N-terminal residues (residues 1-4) in the mature protease. We systematically examined the folding, dimerization, and catalytic activities of mutant proteases comprising deletions of either one of the terminal regions (residues 1-4 or 96-99) or both. Although both N- and C-terminal beta-strands were found to contribute to dimer stability, our results indicate that the inner C-terminal strands are absolutely essential for dimer formation. Knowledge of the monomer fold and regions critical for dimerization may aid in the rational design of novel inhibitors of the protease to overcome the problem of drug resistance.

Use of the carbonyl chemical shift to relieve degeneracies in triple-resonance assignment experiments

We illustrate an approach that uses the backbone carbonyl chemical shift to relieve resonance overlaps in triple-resonance assignment experiments conducted on protein samples. We apply this approach to two cases of simultaneous overlaps: those of ((1)H(N), (15)N) spin pairs and those of ((1)H(alpha), (13)C(alpha)) spin pairs in residues preceding prolines. For these cases we employed respectively CBCACO(N)H and H(CA)CON experiments, simple variants of the commonly used CBCA(CO)NH and HCA(CO)N experiments obtained by replacing one of the indirect dimensions with a carbonyl dimension. We present data collected on ribosomal protein S4 using these experiments, along with overlap statistics for four other polypeptides ranging in size from 76 to 263 residues. These data indicate that the CBCACO(N)H, in combination with the CBCA(CO)NH, can relieve >83% of the ((1)H(N), (15)N) and ((1)H(N), (13)C') overlaps for these proteins. The data also reveal how the H(CA)CON experiment successfully completed the assignment of triply and quadruply degenerate X-Pro spin systems in a mobile, proline-rich region of S4, even when X was a glycine. Finally, we discuss the relative sensitivities of these experiments compared to those of existing sequences, an analysis that reinforces the usefulness of these experiments in assigning extensively overlapped and/or proline-rich sequences in proteins.

Optimized labeling of 13CHD2 methyl isotopomers in perdeuterated proteins: potential advantages for 13C relaxation studies of methyl dynamics of larger proteins

13CHD2 methyl isotopomers are particularly useful to study methyl dynamics in proteins because, as compared with other methyl isotopomers, the 13C relaxation mechanism for this isotopomer is straightforward. However, in the case of proteins, where (omega tau)2 >> 1, the refocused INEPT pulse sequence does not completely suppress unwanted 13CH3 signals. The presence of weak 13CH3 peaks is usually not a serious problem for smaller proteins because there are relatively few methyl signals and they are sharp; however, signal overlap becomes more common as the size of the protein increases. We overcome this problem by preparing a protein using a 98% D2O cell culture medium containing 3-(13)C pyruvic acid, 50-60% deuterated at the 3-position, and 4-(13)C 2-ketobutyric acid, 98% and 62% deuterated at the 3- and 4-positions, respectively. This approach significantly reduces the population of the CH3 isotopomer while optimizing the production of 13CHD2, the isotopomer desired for 13C relaxation measurements. In larger proteins where the deuterium T2 may be too short to measure accurately, we also suggest the alternative measurement of the proton T2 of the 13CH2D methyl isotopomer, because these protons are well-isolated from other protons in these highly deuterated samples.

Comparison of methyl rotation axis order parameters derived from model-free analyses of (2)H and (13)C longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates measured in the same protein sample

Recombinant HIV-1 protease was obtained from bacteria grown on a 98% D(2)O medium containing 3-(13)C pyruvic acid as the sole source of (13)C and (1)H. The purified protein is highly deuterated at non-methyl carbons, but contains significant populations of (13)CHD(2) and (13)CH(2)D methyl isotopomers. This pattern of isotope labeling permitted measurements of (1)H and (13)C relaxation rates of (13)CHD(2) isotopomers and (2)H (D) relaxation rates of (13)CH(2)D isotopomers using a single sample. The order parameters S(axis)(2), which characterize the motions of the methyl rotation axes, were derived from model-free analyses of R(1) and R(2) data sets measured for (13)C and (2)H spins. Our primary goal was to compare the S(axis)(2) values derived from the two independent types of data sets to test our understanding of the relaxation mechanisms involved. However, S(axis)(2) values derived from the analyses depend strongly on the geometry of the methyl group, the sizes of the quadrupolar and dipolar couplings, and the effects of bond vibrations and librations on these couplings. Therefore uncertainties in these basic physical parameters complicate comparison of the order parameters. This problem was circumvented by using an experimental relationship, between the methyl quadrupolar, (13)C-(13)C and (13)C-(1)H dipolar couplings, derived from independent measurements of residual static couplings of weakly aligned proteins by Ottiger and Bax (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 4690-4695) and Mittermaier and Kay (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 10608-10613). This approach placed a tight experimental restraint on the values of the (2)H quadrupolar and (13)C-(1)H dipolar interactions and greatly facilitated the accurate comparison of the relative values of the order parameters. When applied to our data this approach yielded satisfactory agreement between the S(axis)(2) values derived from the (13)C and (2)H data sets.