Triple Resonance MAS NMR with (13C, 15N) Labelled Molecules: Reduced Dimensionality Data Acquisition Via 13C-15N Heteronuclear Two-Spin Coherence Transfer Pathways

A reduced dimensionality magic angle spinning solid-state NMR experimental protocol for obtaining chemical shift correlation spectra of dipolar coupled nuclei in uniformly (¹³C, ¹⁵N) labelled biological systems is described and demonstrated. The method involves a mapping of the evolution frequencies of heteronuclear ¹³C-¹⁵N zero- and double-quantum coherences. In comparison to a reduced dimensionality procedure involving the simultaneous incrementation of two single-quantum chemical shift evolution periods, the approach described here could be potentially advantageous for minimising the heat dissipated in the probe by high power ¹H decoupling in experiments requiring long t ₁ acquisition times.     

Improved sensitivity in indirect monitoring of chemical shifts of proton-heteronuclear spin pairs (1H-13C and 1H-15N) in 3D and 4D NMR spectroscopy

In three-dimensional and four-dimensional experiments on doubly labelled proteins not only heteronuclear (¹³C or ¹⁵N) but also proton (¹H) frequencies are often indirectly monitored, rather than being directly observed. In this communication we show how in these experiments by overlaying ¹H and heteronuclear evolutions one can obtain decreased apparent relaxation rates of ¹H signals, yielding improved sensitivity. The new method applies to spin pairs like ¹H-¹⁵N, as in amide groups, or ¹H-¹³C, as in methine groups of alpha or aromatic systems.     

Modeling of the N-terminal Section and the Lumenal Loop of Trimeric Light Harvesting Complex II (LHCII) by Using EPR

The major light harvesting complex II (LHCII) of green plants plays a key role in the absorption of sunlight, the regulation of photosynthesis, and in preventing photodamage by excess light. The latter two functions are thought to involve the lumenal loop and the N-terminal domain. Their structure and mobility in an aqueous environment are only partially known. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) has been used to measure the structure of these hydrophilic protein domains in detergent-solubilized LHCII. A new technique is introduced to prepare LHCII trimers in which only one monomer is spin-labeled. These heterogeneous trimers allow to measure intra-molecular distances within one LHCII monomer in the context of a trimer by using double electron-electron resonance (DEER). These data together with data from electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) allowed to model the N-terminal protein section, which has not been resolved in current crystal structures, and the lumenal loop domain. The N-terminal domain covers only a restricted area above the superhelix in LHCII, which is consistent with the “Velcro” hypothesis to explain thylakoid grana stacking (Standfuss, J., van Terwisscha Scheltinga, A. C., Lamborghini, M., and Kühlbrandt, W. (2005) EMBO J. 24, 919–928). The conformation of the lumenal loop domain is surprisingly different between LHCII monomers and trimers but not between complexes with and without neoxanthin bound.     

Molecular ordering of cellulose after extraction of polysaccharides from primary cell walls of Arabidopsis thaliana: a solid-state CP/MAS (13)C NMR study

Solid-state CP/MAS 13C NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the effects of three different sequential extraction procedures, used to remove non-cellulosic polysaccharides, on the molecular ordering of cellulose in a cell-wall preparation containing mostly primary cell walls obtained from the leaves of the model dicotyledon, Arabidopsis thaliana. The extractions were 50 mM trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (CDTA) and 50 mM sodium carbonate (giving Residue 1); 50 mM CDTA, 50 mM sodium carbonate and 1 M KOH (giving Residue 2); and 50 mM CDTA, 50 mM sodium carbonate and 4 M KOH (giving Residue 3). The molecular ordering of cellulose in Residue 1 was similar to that in unextracted walls: the cellulose was almost all crystalline, with 43% of molecules contained in crystallite interiors and similar proportions of the triclinic (I(alpha)) and monoclinic (I(beta)) crystal forms. Residue 2 was partly decrystallized and the remaining crystallites were mostly in the I(beta) form. Residue 3 was a mixture of cellulose II, cellulose I and amorphous cellulose. The presence of signals at 100.0 and 102.3 ppm in the spectra of Residues 1 and 2, but not of unextracted cell walls, suggested that the extractions giving these residues caused some of the non-cellulosic polysaccharides, possibly xyloglucans and galactoglucomannans, to become relatively well ordered, for example through interactions with cellulose crystallite surfaces.     

1H(C) and 1H(N) total NOE correlations in a single 3D NMR experiment. 15N and 13C time-sharing in t1 and t2 dimensions for simultaneous data acquisition

Simultaneous data acquisition in time-sharing (TS) multi-dimensional NMR experiments has been shown an effective means to reduce experimental time, and thus to accelerate structure determination of proteins. This has been accomplished by spin evolution time-sharing of the X and Y heteronuclei, such as ¹⁵N and ¹³C, in one of the time dimensions. In this work, we report a new 3D TS experiment, which allows simultaneous ¹³C and ¹⁵N spin labeling coherence in both t ₁ and t ₂ dimensions to give four NOESY spectra in a single 3D experiment. These spectra represent total NOE correlations between ¹H_N and ¹H_C resonances. This strategy of double time-sharing (2TS) results in an overall four-fold reduction in experimental time compared with its conventional counterpart. This 3D 2TS CN-CN-H HSQC-NOESY-HSQC pulse sequence also demonstrates improvements in water suppression, ¹⁵N spectral resolution and sensitivity, which were developed based on 2D TS CN-H HSQC and 3D TS H-CN-H NOESY-HSQC experiments. Combining the 3D TS and the 3D 2TS NOESY experiments, NOE assignment ambiguities and errors are considerably reduced. These results will be useful for rapid protein structure determination to complement the effort of discerning the functions of diverse genomic proteins.     

Study of wheat high molecular weight 1Dx5 subunit by (13)C and (1)H solid-state NMR. II. Roles of nonrepetitive terminal domains and length of repetitive domain

This work follows a previous article that addressed the role of disulfide bonds in the behavior of the 1Dx5 subunit upon hydration. Here the roles of nonrepetitive terminal domains present and the length of the central repetitive domain in the hydration of 1Dx5 are investigated. This was achieved by comparing the hydration behavior of suitable model samples determined by (13)C- and (1)H-NMR: an alkylated 1Dx5 subunit (alk1Dx5), a recombinant 58-kDa peptide corresponding to the central repetitive domain of 1Dx5 (i.e., lacking the terminal domains), and two synthetic peptides (with 6 and 21 amino acid residues) based on the consensus repeat motifs of the central domain. The (13)C cross-polarization and magic angle spinning (MAS) experiments recorded as a function of hydration gave information about the protein or peptide fractions resisting plasticization. Conversely, (13)C single pulse excitation and (1)H-MAS gave information on the more plasticized segments. The results are consistent with the previous proposal of a hydrated network held by hydrogen-bonded glutamines and possibly hydrophobic interactions. The nonrepetitive terminal domains were found to induce water insolubility and a generally higher network hindrance. Shorter chain lengths were shown to increase plasticization and water solubility. However, at low water contents, the 21-mer peptide was characterized by higher hindrance in the megahertz and kilohertz frequency ranges compared to the longer peptide; and a tendency for a few hydrogen-bonded glutamines and hydrophobic residues to remain relatively hindered was still observed, as for the protein and large peptide. It is suggested that this ability is strongly dependent on the peptide primary structure.     

Complexation of lead(II) with O,O-dialkyldithiophosphate ligands: P and C CP/MAS NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies

Polycrystalline lead(II) complexes with O,O^′-dipropyl- and O,O^′-di-cyclo-hexyldithiophosphate ions were prepared and studied by means of ³¹P, ³¹C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Prepared complexes are characterised by polynuclear structures, in which pairs of dithiophosphate groups asymmetrically link neighbouring lead atoms, forming infinite linear zigzag chains. In spite of the same combined structural function, dithiophosphate ligands in both complexes display structural inequivalence. To characterise the combined structural state of the dialkyldithiophosphate ligands, ³¹P chemical shift anisotropy parameters, δ_aniso and η, were estimated from spinning sideband patterns in experimental CP/MAS NMR spectra for each of the two prepared complexes as well as the initial potassium O,O^′-dipropyl- and O,O^′-di-cyclo-hexyldithiophosphate salts.     

A pyridine adduct of bis(di-iso-butyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)cadmium(II): Multinuclear (C, N, Cd) CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy, crystal and molecular structure, and thermal behaviour

Crystalline bis(N,N-di-iso-butyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)(pyridine)cadmium(II) - adduct 1 was prepared and studied by means of multinuclear ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹¹³Cd CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and simultaneous thermal analysis (STA). In molecular structure 1, the cadmium atom coordinates with four sulphur atoms and one nitrogen atom of pyridine, forming a coordination polyhedron [CdS₄N], whose geometry is an almost ideal tetragonal pyramidal (C_4v). The coordinated py molecule is in the apical position, while two structurally non-equivalent di-iso-butyldithiocarbamate ligands, playing the same terminal S,S′-chelating function, define the basal plane. To characterise additionally the structural state of the cadmium atom in this fivefold coordination, ¹¹³Cd chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) parameters, δ_aniso and η, were calculated from experimental MAS NMR spectra that revealed an almost axially symmetric ¹¹³Cd chemical shift tensor. From a combination of TG and DSC measurements taken under an argon atmosphere, we found that the mass of adduct 1 is lost in two steps involving initial desorption of coordinated py molecules with subsequent thermal destruction of liberated cadmium(II) di-iso-butyldithiocarbamate, with yellow-orange, fine-powdered solid CdS as the final product.     

Accurate determination of leucine and valine side-chain conformations using U-[15N/13C/2H]/[1H-(methine/methyl)-Leu/Val] isotope labeling, NOE pattern recognition, and methine Cgamma-Hgamma/Cbeta-Hbeta residual dipolar couplings: application to the 34-kDa enzyme IIA(chitobiose)

An isotope labeling scheme is described in which specific protonation of methine and methyl protons of leucine and valine is obtained on a ¹⁵N/¹³C labeled background with uniform deuteration of all other non-exchangeable protons. The presence of a protonated methine group has little effect on the favorable relaxation properties of the methyl protons of Leu and Val. This labeling scheme permits the rotameric state of leucine side-chains to be readily determined by simple inspection of the pattern of Hγ(i)–H_N(i) and Hγ(i)–H_N(i+1) NOEs in a 3D ¹⁵N-separated NOE spectrum free of complications arising from spectral overlap and spin-diffusion. In addition, one-bond residual dipolar couplings for the methine ¹³C–¹H bond vectors of Leu and Val can be accurately determined from an intensity J-modulated constant-time HCCH-COSY experiment and used to accurately orient the side-chains of Leu and Val. Incorporation of these data into structure refinement improves the accuracy with which the conformations of Leu and Val side-chains can be established. This is important to ensure optimal packing both within the protein core and at intermolecular interfaces. The impact of the method on protein structure determination is illustrated by application to enzyme IIA^Chitobiose, a 34 kDa homotrimeric phosphotransferase protein.     

Conformational isomerism of the binuclear N,N-pentamethylenedithiocarbamate cadmium(II) complex, [Cd2{S2CN(CH2)5}4] on multinuclear (N, Cd) CP/MAS NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction data

Crystalline N,N-cyclo-pentamethylenedithiocarbamate (PmDtc) cadmium(II) complex was prepared and studied by means of ¹⁵N, ¹¹³Cd CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The unit cell of the cadmium(II) compound comprises two centrosymmetric isomeric binuclear molecules [Cd₂{S₂CN(CH₂)₅}₄], which display structural inequivalence in both ¹⁵N and ¹¹³Cd NMR and XRD data. There are pairs of the dithiocarbamate ligands exhibiting different structural functions in both isomeric molecules. Each of the terminal ligands is bidentately coordinated to the cadmium atom and forms a planar four-membered chelate ring [CdS₂C]; whereas pairs of the tridentate bridging ligands combine two neighbouring cadmium atoms forming an extended eight-membered tricyclic moieties [Cd₂S₄C₂], whose geometry can be approximated by a ‘chair’ conformation. The structural states of cadmium atoms were characterised by almost axially symmetric ¹¹³Cd chemical shift tensors. All experimental ¹⁵N resonance lines were assigned to the nitrogen structural sites in both isomeric binuclear molecules.     

The unique alternation of conformationally different (‘chair’-‘saddle’) eight-membered metallocycles [Cd2S4P2] in the chains of cadmium dialkyldithiophosphates: C, P, Cd CP/MAS NMR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies

O,O′-Dipropyldithiophosphate and O,O′-dibutyldithiophosphate (Dtph) cadmium(II) complexes were prepared and studied by means of heteronuclear ³¹P, ¹¹³Cd, ³¹C CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Linear-chain polynuclear structures have been established for both cadmium(II) complexes, in which each pair of equivalent dithiophosphate groups, playing the same bridging structural function, asymmetrically links the neighbouring cadmium atoms. One remarkable structural feature of the synthesised cadmium(II) compounds is defined by the alternation of two types of conformationally different (‘chair’-‘saddle’) eight-membered rings [Cd₂S₄P₂] in the polymeric chains. Therefore, in both ³¹P NMR and XRD data, the bridging dithiophosphate ligands exhibit structural inequivalence in pairs. The structural states of both Dtph ligands and cadmium atoms have been characterised by the ³¹P and ¹¹³Cd chemical shift tensors, which display a profound axially symmetric and mainly rhombic characters, respectively. All experimental ³¹P resonances were assigned to the phosphorus structural sites in both resolved structures.     

Stepwise Transition of the Tetra-Manganese Complex of Photosystem II to a Binuclear Mn2(μ-O)2 Complex in Response to a Temperature Jump: A Time-Resolved Structural Investigation Employing X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

In oxygenic photosynthesis, water is oxidized at a protein-cofactor complex comprising four Mn atoms and, presumably, one calcium. Using multilayers of Photosystem II membrane particles, we investigated the time course of the disassembly of the Mn complex initiated by a temperature jump from 25°C to 47°C and terminated by rapid cooling after distinct heating periods. We monitored polarographically the oxygen-evolution activity, the amount of the Y_D^ox radical and of released Mn²⁺ by EPR spectroscopy, and the structure of the Mn complex by x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS, EXAFS). Using a novel approach to analyze time-resolved EXAFS data, we identify three distinct phases of the disassembly process: (1) Loss of the oxygen-evolution activity and reduction of Y_D^ox occur simultaneously (k₁ = 1.0 min⁻¹). EXAFS spectra reveal the concomitant loss of an absorber-backscatterer interaction between heavy atoms separated by ~3.3 Å, possibly related to Ca release. (2) Subsequently, two Mn(III) or Mn(IV) ions seemingly separated by ~2.7 Å in the native complex are reduced to Mn(II) and released (k₂ = 0.18 min⁻¹). The x-ray absorption spectroscopy data is highly suggestive that the two unreleased Mn ions form a di-μ-oxo bridged Mn(III)₂ complex. (3) Finally, the tightly-bound Mn₂(μ-O)₂ unit is slowly reduced and released (k₃ = 0.014 min⁻¹).