Superslow Backbone Protein Dynamics as Studied by 1D Solid-State MAS Exchange NMR Spectroscopy

Superslow backbone dynamics of the protein barstar and the polypeptide polyglycine was studied by means of a solid-state MAS 1D exchange NMR method (time-reverse ODESSA) that can detect reorientation of nuclei carrying anisotropic chemical shift tensors. Experiments were performed on carbonyl 13C in polyglycine (natural abundance) and backbone 15N nuclei in uniformly 15N-enriched barstar within a wide range of temperatures in dry and wet powders for both samples. Two exchange processes were observed in the experiments: molecular reorientation and spin diffusion. Experimental conditions that are necessary to separate these two processes are discussed on a quantitative level. It was revealed that the wet protein undergoes molecular motion in the millisecond range of correlation times, whereas in dry protein and polyglycine molecular reorientations could not be detected. The correlation time of the motion in the wet barstar at room temperature is 50-100 ms; the activation energy is about 80 kJ/mol. Previously, protein motions with such a long correlation time could be observed only by methods detecting chemical exchange in solution (e.g., hydrogen exchange). The application of solid-state MAS exchange spectroscopy provides new opportunities in studying slow biomolecular dynamics that is important for the biological function of proteins.