Proton evolved local field solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance using Hadamard encoding: theory and application to membrane proteins

NMR anisotropic parameters such as dipolar couplings and chemical shifts are central to structure and orientation determination of aligned membrane proteins and liquid crystals. Among the separated local field experiments, the proton evolved local field (PELF) scheme is particularly suitable to measure dynamically averaged dipolar couplings and give information on local molecular motions. However, the PELF experiment requires the acquisition of several 2D datasets at different mixing times to optimize the sensitivity for the complete range of dipolar couplings of the resonances in the spectrum. Here, we propose a new PELF experiment that takes the advantage of the Hadamard encoding (HE) to obtain higher sensitivity for a broad range of dipolar couplings using a single 2D experiment. The HE scheme is obtained by selecting the spin operators with phase switching of hard pulses. This approach enables one to detect four spin operators, simultaneously, which can be processed into two 2D spectra covering a broader range of dipolar couplings. The advantages of the new approach are illustrated for a U-(15)N NAL single crystal and the U-(15)N labeled single-pass membrane protein sarcolipin reconstituted in oriented lipid bicelles. The HE-PELF scheme can be implemented in other multidimensional experiments to speed up the characterization of the structure and dynamics of oriented membrane proteins and liquid crystalline samples.     

Heteronuclear isotropic mixing separated local field NMR spectroscopy

This paper presents a theoretical, numerical, and experimental study of a new class of separated local field (SLF) techniques. These techniques are based on the heteronuclear isotropic mixing leading to spin exchange via the local field (HIMSELF). It is shown that highly efficient and robust SLF experiments can be designed based on double channel windowless homonuclear decoupling sequences. Compared to rotating frame techniques based on Hartmann-Hahn cross polarization, the new approach is less susceptible to the frequency offset and chemical shift interaction and can be applied in the structural studies of macromolecules that are uniformly labeled with isotopes such as (13)C and (15)N. Furthermore, isotropic mixing sequences allow for transfer of any magnetization component of one nucleus to the corresponding component of its dipolar coupled partner. The performance of HIMSELF is studied by analysis of the average Hamiltonian and numerical simulation and is experimentally demonstrated on a single crystalline sample of a dipeptide and a liquid crystalline sample exhibiting motionally averaged dipolar couplings.     

Determination of natural abundance 15N-1H and 13C-1H dipolar couplings of molecules in a strongly orienting media using two-dimensional inverse experiments

NMR spectra of molecules oriented in liquid crystals provide homo- and heteronuclear dipolar couplings and thereby the geometry of the molecules. Several inequivalent dilute spins such as 13C and 15N coupled to protons form different coupled spin systems in their natural abundance and appear as satellites in the proton spectra. Identification of transitions belonging to each spin system is essential to determine heteronuclear dipolar couplings, which is a formidable task. In the present study, using 15N-1H and 13C-1H HSQC, and HMQC experiments we have selectively detected spectra of each rare spin coupled to protons. The 15N-1H and 13C-1H dipolar couplings have been determined in the natural abundance of 13C and 15N for the molecules pyrazine, pyrimidine and pyridazine oriented in a thermotropic liquid crystal.     

PITANSEMA, a low-power PISEMA solid-state NMR experiment

A low radio frequency power polarization inversion spin exchange at the magic angle (PISEMA) pulse sequence is described for the measurement of heteronuclear dipolar couplings from solids. The method employs a time averaged nutation concept to significantly reduce the rf power required to spin-lock low gamma nuclear spins in PISEMA experiments. The efficacy of the 2D method is demonstrated on a single crystal of n-acetyl-L-(15)N-valyl-L-(15)N-leucine dipeptide to measure (1)H-(15)N dipolar couplings and a liquid crystal sample to measure (1)H-(13)C dipolar couplings.     

Frequency-selective measurement of heteronuclear scalar couplings in solid-state NMR

A new technique is proposed for selective measurement of heteronuclear scalar J couplings between spins in solids. The method, referred to as FS-J-RES (Frequency-Selective-J-RESolved) NMR, uses frequency-selective irradiation at the I (nonobserved) spin frequency to target a specific pair of spins in a multispin system. In addition, the technique provides direct information about the number of identical I spins chemically bonded to the observed S nucleus. A reference spectrum, recorded without irradiating the I spins, accounts for transverse relaxation, pulse imperfections and dephasing due to homonuclear J couplings between S nuclei, which can be simultaneously measured with this method.     

An investigation of solute-liquid crystal interaction in hydrogen bonded complexes of palmitic acid and p-octyloxybenzoic acid

The orientational order of a liquid crystalline phase which has a specific solute-liquid crystal interaction was investigated using nuclear magnetic resonance. Three isotopically substituted species of palmitic acid (palmitic acid-d₃₁, 1-¹³C-2.2-H₂-palmitic acid-d₂₉ and 2,2,3,3-H₄-palmitic acid-d₂₇) were dissolved in the liquid crystal p-octyloxybenzoic acid (p-OOBA) and the proton, deuteron and carbon 13 NMR spectra recorded as a function of temperature. ¹H-¹³H dipolar couplings were observed using a spin echo pulse sequence which removes heteronuclear dipolar couplings to the chain deuterons. In the case of the carbon 13 labelled compound, ¹H-¹³C dipolar couplings could be observed by applying an additional refocusing pulse to the ¹³C spins. The dipolar and quadrupolar couplings were used to calculate the complete orientational order matrix of the alpha methylene segment of palmitic acid in p-OOBA. The liquid crystal was shown to largely determine the orientational order of the head group and this was attributed to intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The dipolar and quadrupolar couplings for the rest of the chain were interpreted in terms of a mean field equilibrium statistical model, based on the Samulski Inertial Frame Model. Hydrogen bonding was shown to be of greater importance in the orientational ordering of the solutes in the liquid crystal than are electrostatic interactions in the ordering of the amphiphile in the potassium palmitate/water system.     

Triple oscillating field technique for accurate distance measurements by solid-state NMR

We present a new concept for homonuclear dipolar recoupling in magic-angle-spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR experiments which avoids the problem of dipolar truncation. This is accomplished through the introduction of a new NMR pulse sequence design principle: the triple oscillating field technique. We demonstrate this technique as an efficient means to accomplish broadband dipolar recoupling of homonuclear spins, while decoupling heteronuclear dipolar couplings and anisotropic chemicals shifts and retaining influence from isotropic chemical shifts. In this manner, it is possible to synthesize Ising interaction (2IzSz) Hamiltonians in homonuclear spin networks and thereby avoid dipolar truncation--a serious problem essentially all previous homonuclear dipolar recoupling experiments suffer from. Combination of this recoupling concept with rotor assisted dipolar refocusing enables easy readout of internuclear distances through comparison with analytical Fresnel curves. This forms the basis for a new class of solid-state NMR experiments with potential for structure analysis of uniformly 13C labeled proteins through accurate measurement of 13C-13C internuclear distances. The concept is demonstrated experimentally by measurement of C alpha-C', C beta-C', and C gamma-C' internuclear distances in powder samples of the amino acids L-alanine and L-threonine.     

Communication: partial polarization transfer for single-scan spectroscopy and imaging

A method is presented to partially transfer nuclear spin polarization from one isotope S to another isotope I by the way of heteronuclear spin couplings, while minimizing the loss of spin order to other degrees of freedom. The desired I spin polarization to be detected is a design parameter, while the sequence of pulses at the two Larmor frequencies is optimized to store the greatest unused S spin longitudinal polarization for subsequent use. The unitary evolution for the case of I(N)S spin systems illustrates the potentially ideal efficiency of this strategy, which is of particular interest when the spin-lattice relaxation time of S greatly exceeds that of I. Explicit timing and pulses are tabulated for the cases for which M ≤ 10 partial transfers each result in equal final polarization of 1/M or more compared to the final I polarization expected in a single transfer for N = 1, 2, or 3 I spins. Advantages for the ratiometric study of reacting molecules and hyperpolarized initial conditions are outlined.     

Solid state separated-local-field NMR spectroscopy on half-integer quadrupolar nuclei: principles and applications to borane analysis

New multidimensional NMR methods correlating the quadrupolar and heteronuclear dipolar interactions affecting a half-integer quadrupolar spin in the solid state are introduced and exemplified. The methods extend separated-local-field magic-angle spinning (SLF MAS) NMR techniques that have been used successfully in spin-(1)/(2) spectroscopy to the study of S >/= (3)/(2) nuclei. In our implementation, these techniques avoid homonuclear proton decoupling requirements by relying on moderately fast MAS rates (6-15 kHz) and use rotor-synchronized constant-time pulse sequences to achieve nearly arbitrary amplifications of the apparent dipolar coupling strengths. The result is a suite of simple 2D NMR experiments, whose line shapes carry valuable information about the structure and dynamics of solids containing quadrupolar and proton nuclei. The potential of these sequences was exploited to gather new insight into the structure and dynamics of a variety of boron-containing samples. These experimental SLF schemes were also extended to 3D NMR experiments that incorporate multiple-quantum MAS, thus enabling the resolution needed to study multiple chemical sites in a solid and providing a useful tool for the assignment of inequivalent sites.     

Simplifying the complex 1H NMR spectra of fluorine-substituted benzamides by spin system filtering and spin-state selection: multiple-quantum-single-quantum correlation

The proton NMR spectra of fluorine-substituted benzamides are very complex (Figure 1) due to severe overlap of (1)H resonances from the two aromatic rings, in addition to several short and long-range scalar couplings experienced by each proton. With no detectable scalar couplings between the inter-ring spins, the (1)H NMR spectra can be construed as an overlap of spectra from two independent phenyl rings. In the present study we demonstrate that it is possible to separate the individual spectrum for each aromatic ring by spin system filtering employing the multiple-quantum-single-quantum correlation methodology. Furthermore, the two spin states of fluorine are utilized to simplify the spectrum corresponding to each phenyl ring by the spin-state selection. The demonstrated technique reduces spectral complexity by a factor of 4, in addition to permitting the determination of long-range couplings of less than 0.2 Hz and the relative signs of heteronuclear couplings. The technique also aids the judicious choice of the spin-selective double-quantum-single-quantum J-resolved experiment to determine the long-range homonuclear couplings of smaller magnitudes.     

Accurate heteronuclear distance measurements at all magic-angle spinning frequencies in solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Heteronuclear dipolar coupling is indispensable in revealing vital information related to the molecular structure and dynamics, as well as intermolecular interactions in various solid materials. Although numerous approaches have been developed to selectively reintroduce heteronuclear dipolar coupling under MAS, most of them lack universality and can only be applied to limited spin systems. Herein, we introduce a new and robust technique dubbed phase modulated rotary resonance (PMRR) for reintroducing heteronuclear dipolar couplings while suppressing all other interactions under a broad range of MAS conditions. The standard PMRR requires the radiofrequency (RF) field strength of only twice the MAS frequency, can efficiently recouple the dipolar couplings with a large scaling factor of 0.50, and is robust to experimental imperfections. Moreover, the adjustable window modification of PMRR, dubbed wPMRR, can improve its performance remarkably, making it well suited for the accurate determination of dipolar couplings in various spin systems. The robust performance of such pulse sequences has been verified theoretically and experimentally via model compounds, at different MAS frequencies. The application of the PMRR technique was demonstrated on the H-ZSM-5 zeolite, where the interaction between the Brønsted acidic hydroxyl groups of H-ZSM-5 and the absorbed trimethylphosphine oxide (TMPO) were probed, revealing the detailed configuration of super acid sites.

A new and robust technique dubbed phase modulated rotary resonance (PMRR) was proposed for the accurate determination of heteronuclear dipolar coupling under a broad range of MAS conditions in solid-state NMR spectroscopy.     

Heteronuclear proton assisted recoupling

We describe a theoretical framework for understanding the heteronuclear version of the third spin assisted recoupling polarization transfer mechanism and demonstrate its potential for detecting long-distance intramolecular and intermolecular (15)N-(13)C contacts in biomolecular systems. The pulse sequence, proton assisted insensitive nuclei cross polarization (PAIN-CP) relies on a cross term between (1)H-(15)N and (1)H-(13)C dipolar couplings to mediate zero- and∕or double-quantum (15)N-(13)C recoupling. In particular, using average Hamiltonian theory we derive effective Hamiltonians for PAIN-CP and show that the transfer is mediated by trilinear terms of the form N(±)C(?)H(z) (ZQ) or N(±)C(±)H(z) (DQ) depending on the rf field strengths employed. We use analytical and numerical simulations to explain the structure of the PAIN-CP optimization maps and to delineate the appropriate matching conditions. We also detail the dependence of the PAIN-CP polarization transfer with respect to local molecular geometry and explain the observed reduction in dipolar truncation. In addition, we demonstrate the utility of PAIN-CP in structural studies with (15)N-(13)C spectra of two uniformly (13)C,(15)N labeled model microcrystalline proteins-GB1, a 56 amino acid peptide, and Crh, a 85 amino acid domain swapped dimer (MW=2×10.4 kDa). The spectra acquired at high magic angle spinning frequencies (ω(r)∕2π>20 kHz) and magnetic fields (ω(0H)∕2π=700-900 MHz) using moderate rf fields, yield multiple long-distance intramonomer and intermonomer (15)N-(13)C contacts. We use these distance restraints, in combination with the available x-ray structure as a homology model, to perform a calculation of the monomer subunit of the Crh protein.     

Sensitivity enhancement and heteronuclear distance measurements in biological 17O solid-state NMR

In this contribution we present a comprehensive approach to study hydrogen bonding in biological and biomimetic systems through 17O and 17O-1H solid-state NMR combined with density functional theory calculations of 17O and 1H NMR parameters. We explore the signal enhancement of 17O in L-tyrosine.HCl using repetitive double-frequency swept radio frequency pulses in solid-state NMR. The technique is compatible with high magnetic fields and fast magic-angle spinning of the sample. A maximum enhancement by a factor of 4.3 is obtained in the signal-to-noise ratio of the selectively excited 17O central transition in a powdered sample of 17Oeta-L-tyrosine.HCl at an external field of 14.1 T and a spinning frequency of 25 kHz. As little as 128 transients lead to meaningful 17O spectra of the same sample at an external field of 18.8 T and a spinning frequency of 50 kHz. Furthermore we employed supercycled symmetry-based pulse sequences on the protons to achieve heteronuclear longitudinal two-spin-order (IzSz) recoupling to determine 17O-1H distances. These sequences recouple the heteronuclear dipolar 17O-1H couplings, where dipolar truncation is absent, while decoupling the homonuclear proton dipolar interactions. They can be applied at fast magic-angle-spinning frequencies up and beyond 50 kHz and are very robust with respect to 17O quadrupolar couplings and both 17O and 1H chemical shift anisotropies, which makes them suitable for the use at high external magnetic fields. The method is demonstrated by determining the 17Oeta-1H distance in L-tyrosine.HCl at a spinning frequency of 50 kHz and an external field of 18.8 T.     

Detection and characterization of intermolecular multiple-quantum coherence NMR signals of IS (I=1/2; S=3/2) spin systems

Intermolecular multiple-quantum coherences (iMQCs) have some intrinsic properties different from conventional single-quantum coherences in solution NMR. In this paper, we extended our study to heteronuclear iMQCs in IS (I=1/2, S=3/2) spin systems. A sample of sodium chloride (NaCl) water solution was taken as an example. Heteronuclear COSY revamped by asymmetric Z-gradient echo detection (CRAZED) experiments were performed. One- and two-dimensional heteronuclear iMQC spectra were obtained. The quantum-mechanical treatment was used to deduce the signal expressions. Magic angle experiments validate that the signals are indeed from intermolecular dipolar interaction and insensitive to the imperfection of radio-frequency (RF) flip angles. Both experimental results and theoretical analysis indicate that heteronuclear CRAZED experiment allows coherence transfer from spin-3/2 nuclei to spin-1/2, and vice verse. Furthermore, the dependences of iMQC signal intensities on RF pulse flip angles follow the same rules as those for heteronuclear IS (I=1/2, S=1/2 or 1) spin systems.     

Selective measurement of heteronuclear 1H-13C dipolar couplings in motionally heterogeneous semicrystalline polymer systems

A pulse sequence for the selective recoupling of heteronuclear dipolar interactions in mobile amorphous phase of powdered semicrystalline polymers is described. 1H-13C dipolar interactions are selectively measured by PISEMA-type sequence. Selection of 13C magnetization originating from amorphous phase is achieved by a train of saturation pulses followed by a short delay and a direct excitation pulse on 13C spins. The development of undesired net 13C magnetization during the recoupling sequence is prevented by the efficient "reverse" 13C --> 1H cross-polarization. The efficacy of the 2D method to measure 1H-13C dipolar couplings selectively for mobile components is demonstrated on powdered crystalline L-alanine, semicrystalline polyethylene, and nanocomposite polyamide-6/montmorillonite.     

Homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR studies of a statherin fragment bound to hydroxyapatite crystals

Acidic proteins found in mineralized tissues act as nature's crystal engineers, where they play a key role in promoting or inhibiting the growth of minerals such as hydroxyapatite (HAP), Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, the main mineral component of bone and teeth. Key to understanding the structural basis of protein-crystal recognition and protein control of hard tissue growth is the nature of interactions between the protein side chains and the crystal surface. In an earlier work we have measured the proximity of the lysine (K6) side chain in an SN-15 peptide fragment of the salivary protein statherin adsorbed to the Phosphorus-rich surface of HAP using solid-state NMR recoupling experiments. 15N{31P} rotational echo double resonance (REDOR) NMR data on the side-chain nitrogen in K6 gave rise to three different models of protein-surface interaction to explain the experimental data acquired. In this work we extend the analysis of the REDOR data by examining the contribution of interactions between surface phosphorus atoms to the observed 15N REDOR decay. We performed 31P-31P recoupling experiments in HAP and (NH4)2HPO4 (DHP) to explore the nature of dipolar coupled 31P spin networks. These studies indicate that extensive networks of dipolar coupled 31P spins can be represented as stronger effective dipolar couplings, the existence of which must be included in the analysis of REDOR data. We carried out 15N{31P} REDOR in the case of DHP to determine how the size of the dephasing spin network influences the interpretation of the REDOR data. Although use of an extended 31P coupled spin network simulates the REDOR data well, a simplified 31P dephasing system composed of two spins with a larger dipolar coupling also simulates the REDOR data and only perturbs the heteronuclear couplings very slightly. The 31P-31P dipolar couplings between phosphorus nuclei in HAP can be replaced by an effective dipolar interaction of 600 Hz between two 31P spins. We incorporated this coupling and applied the above approach to reanalyze the 15N{31P} REDOR of the lysine side chain approaching the HAP surface and have refined the binding models proposed earlier. We obtain 15N-31P distances between 3.3 and 5 A from these models that are indicative of the possibility of a lysine-phosphate hydrogen bond.     

A new NMR method for determining the particle thickness in nanocomposites, using T2,H-selective X{1H} recoupling

A new nuclear magnetic resonance approach for characterizing the thickness of phosphate, silicate, carbonate, and other nanoparticles in organic-inorganic nanocomposites is presented. The particle thickness is probed using the strongly distant-dependent dipolar couplings between the abundant protons in the organic phase and X nuclei (31P, 29Si, 13C, 27Al, 23Na, etc.) in the inorganic phase. This approach requires pulse sequences with heteronuclear dephasing only by the polymer or surface protons that experience strong homonuclear interactions, but not by dispersed OH or water protons in the inorganic phase, which have long transverse relaxation times T2,H. This goal is achieved by heteronuclear recoupling with dephasing by strong homonuclear interactions of protons (HARDSHIP). The pulse sequence alternates heteronuclear recoupling for approximately 0.15 ms with periods of homonuclear dipolar dephasing that are flanked by canceling 90 degrees pulses. The heteronuclear evolution of the long-T2,H protons is refocused within two recoupling periods, so that 1H spin diffusion cannot significantly dephase these coherences. For the short-T2,H protons of a relatively immobile organic matrix, the heteronuclear dephasing rate depends simply on the heteronuclear second moment. Homonuclear interactions do not affect the dephasing, even though no homonuclear decoupling is applied, because long-range 1H-X dipolar couplings approximately commute with short-range 1H-1H couplings, and heteronuclear recoupling periods are relatively short. This is shown in a detailed analysis based on interaction representations. The algorithm for simulating the dephasing data is described. The new method is demonstrated on a clay-polymer nanocomposite, diamond nanocrystals with protonated surfaces, and the bioapatite-collagen nanocomposite in bone, as well as pure clay and hydroxyapatite. The diameters of the nanoparticles in these materials range between 1 and 5 nm. Simulations show that spherical particles of up to 10 nm diameter can be characterized quite easily.     

应用相敏HMQC和HSQC谱准确测定异核碳-氢偶合常数

准确测定各种同核和异核偶合常数是核磁共振（NMR）方法研究的一个非常跃的领域。首先,各种三键偶合常数通过Karplus关系式^[1]反映了相应二面角的大小,因此,多键偶合常数的准确测定直接影响分子结构确定的精确性。其次,由于稀液晶溶剂体系NMR方法的发展^[2],准确测定各种异核键偶合常数也显得非常重要,特别是应用场相关偶合常数研究分子在磁场中的取向时,对异核－键偶合常数测定的准确性要求更加严格^[3]。异核－键偶合常数的最准确的测定方法是异核偶合调制的HSQC（Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Coherence)实验^[3],它通过测定一系列异核耦合调制的二维HSQC谱,对交叉峰的强度进行分析来精确确定相应的异核－键偶合常数。这一方法的缺点是比较费时。作者在异核多键偶合常数的准确测定方面也做了一些有意义的工作^[4-6 α]。在前文^[5]工作的基础上,本文提出了二维相敏HMQC（Heteronuclear Multiple-Quantum Coherence)和HSQC（Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Coherence)实验,用于准确测定异核－键偶合常数。     

A high-resolution solid-state NMR approach for the structural studies of bicelles

Bicelles are increasingly being used as membrane mimicking systems in NMR experiments to investigate the structure of membrane proteins. In this study, we demonstrate the effectiveness of a 2D solid-state NMR approach that can be used to measure the structural constraints, such as heteronuclear dipolar couplings between 1H, 13C, and 31P nuclei, in bicelles without the need for isotopic enrichment. This method does not require a high radio frequency power unlike the presently used rotating-frame separated-local-field (SLF) techniques, such as PISEMA. In addition, multiple dipolar couplings can be measured accurately, and the presence of a strong dipolar coupling does not suppress the weak couplings. High-resolution spectra obtained from magnetically aligned DMPC:DHPC bicelles even in the presence of peptides suggest that this approach will be useful in understanding lipid-protein interactions that play a vital role in shaping up the function of membrane proteins.     

Dipolar waves as NMR maps of protein structure

The anisotropy of nuclear spin interactions results in a unique mapping of structure to the resonance frequencies and split tings observed in NMR spectra, however, the determination of molecular structure from experimentally measured spectral parameters is complicated by angular ambiguities resulting from the symmetry properties of dipole-dipole and chemical shift interactions. This issue can be addressed through the periodicity inherent in secondary structure elements, which can be used as an index of topology. Distinctive wheel-like patterns are observed in two-dimensional 1H-15N heteronuclear dipolar/15N chemical shift PISEMA (polarization inversion spin-exchange at the magic angle) spectra of helical membrane proteins in highly aligned lipid bilayer samples. One-dimensional dipolar waves are an extension of two-dimensional PISA (polarity index slant angle) wheels to map protein structure in NMR spectra of both highly and weakly aligned samples. Dipolar waves describe the periodic wavelike variations of the magnitudes of the static heteronuclear dipolar couplings as a function of residue number in the absence of chemical shift effects. Weakly aligned samples of proteins display these same effects, primarily as residual dipolar couplings (RDCs), in solution NMR spectra. The corresponding properties of the RDCs in solution NMR spectra of weakly aligned helices represent a convergence of solid-state and solution NMR approaches to structure determination.