Spin-State-Selective TPPI: A New Method for Suppression of Heteronuclear Coupling Constants in Multidimensional NMR Experiments

A novel multidimensional NMR pulse sequence tool, spin-state-selective time-proportional phase incrementation (S(3) TPPI), is introduced. It amounts to application of different TPPIs on the two components of doublets so that their frequencies can be manipulated independently. The chief application is for suppression of large heteronuclear one-bond coupling constants in indirect dimensions of multidimensional experiments without interchanging the two transverse magnetization components of doublets as conventional decoupling does, which is advantageous when they relax at different rates such as by partial compensation of dipolar and CSA relaxation contributions. For experimental confirmation we use a sample of (15)N-labeled neural cell adhesion molecule modules 1 and 2, a protein with a molecular weight of about 20 kDa. The new tool is general and can be combined with many multidimensional NMR experiments for proteins.