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We combined Spin Noise Tuning Optimum (SNTO) and electric field component-optimized shaped tube to boost sensitivity for NMR-based metabolomics.

Here, we implemented and validated a suite of selective and non-selective CPMG-filtered 1D and 2D TOCSY/HSQC experiments for metabolomics research. They facilitated the unambiguous identification of metabolites embedded in broad...

Although nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a potent analytical tool for identification, quantification, and structural elucidation, it suffers from inherently low sensitivity limitations. This chapter focuses on recently reported methods that enable quick acquisition of NMR spectra, as well as new methods of faster, efficient, and informative two-dimensional (2D) NMR methods. Fast and efficient data acquisition has risen in response to an increasing need to investigate chemical and biological processes in real time. Several new techniques have been successfully introduced. One example of this is band-selective optimized-flip-angle shorttransient (SOFAST) NMR, which has opened the door to studying the kinetics of biological processes such as the phosphorylation of proteins. The fast recording of NMR spectra allows researchers to investigate time sensitive molecules that have limited stability under experimental conditions. The increasing awareness that molecular structures are dynamic, rather than static, has pushed some researchers to find alternatives to standard, time-consuming methods of 15 N relaxation observables acquisition.Keywords: NMR, 2D NMR, ultrafast data processing, SOFAST, relaxation 15 N, 29 Si, 30 Al, 31 P to 235 U). As the resonating frequency is unique for each type of nuclei, one can envision an NMR for each nucleus as a separate spectroscopy such as 1 H NMR spectroscopy, 13 C NMR spectroscopy, 235 U NMR spectroscopy (Figure 1), etc. More importantly, NMR has the ability to evaluate information about the environment of each atom and their neighbor's nuclei (both through space and through bond), allowing researchers to differentiate the unique magnetic environments of the same nuclei in different positions of a single molecule. Thus, NMR spectroscopy is extensively used for the identification and in the structural elucidation in a wide Nuclear Magnetic Resonance 2 range of applications in gas [2,3], liquid [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], and solid-state samples [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. Nowadays, NMR spectroscopy is one of the most important analytical tools that has been used in several fields. These fields include structural biology [29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38], organic chemistry [39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52], polymer characterization [40,46,[53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64], inorganic chemistry [65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75], and physics [76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83].Despite its significant advantages, NMR suffers from some limitations, of which the relatively low sensitivity seems to be the most severe. An NMR sample can be treated as a collection of many nuclear spins of magnetically active nuclei that act as small bar magnets. These nuclear spins have two possible orientations with different energy levels that adapt when placed within the strong magnetic field. The number of nuclear spins occupying each energy level is determined by the Boltzmann distribution equation: N ...

The intramolecular interactions between the fructosyl moiety and phenylboronic acid incorporated into various positions of the peptide chain were investigated using mass spectrometry (MS), circular dichroism (CD), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR).

Human serum albumin (HSA) is the main zinc(II) carrier in blood plasma. The HSA site with the strongest affinity for zinc(II), multi-metal binding site A, is disrupted by the presence of fatty acids (FAs). Therefore, the FA concentration in the blood influences zinc distribution, which may affect both normal physiological processes and a range of diseases. Based on the current knowledge of HSA’s structure and its coordination chemistry with zinc(II), we investigated zinc interactions and the effect of various FAs, including lipoic acid (LA), on the protein structure, stability, and zinc(II) binding. We combined NMR experiments and isothermal titration calorimetry to examine zinc(II) binding to HSA at a sub-atomic level in a quantitative manner as well as the effect of FAs. Free HSA results indicate the existence of one high-affinity zinc(II) binding site and multiple low-affinity sites. Upon the binding of FAs to HSA, we observed a range of behaviors in terms of zinc(II) affinity, depending on the type of FA. With FAs that disrupt zinc binding, the addition of LA restores HSA’s affinity for zinc ions to the levels seen with free defatted HSA, indicating the possible mechanism of LA, which is effective in the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

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Metal ions present in cellular microenvironment have been implicated as drivers of aggregation of amyloid forming proteins. Zinc (Zn2+) ions have been reported to directly interact with α-synuclein (AS), a causative agent of Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, and promote its aggregation. AS is a small intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) i.e., understanding molecular factors that drive its misfolding and aggregation has been challenging since methods used routinely to study protein structure are not effective for IDPs. Here, we report the atomic details of Zn2+ binding to AS at physiological conditions using proton-less NMR techniques that can be applied to highly dynamic systems like IDPs. We also examined how human serum albumin (HSA), the most abundant protein in human blood, binds to AS and whether Zn2+ and/or ionic strength affect this. We conclude that Zn2+ enhances the anti-aggregation chaperoning role of HSA that relies on protecting the hydrophobic N-terminal and NAC regions of AS, rather than polar negatively charged C-terminus. This suggested a previously undocumented role of Zn2+ in HSA function and AS aggregation.