Chapter 6 - Paramagnetic Metal Ions as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Probes of Peptide Conformation in Solution

Abstract

This chapter highlights the concept of paramagnetic metal ions as nuclear magnetic resonance probes of peptide conformation in solution. It focuses on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) shifts and relaxation enhancements induced by the binding of paramagnetic metal ions. The chapter presents the theoretical and experimental basis for employing these probes in peptide conformational studies, together with relevant examples from the literature. The chapter highlights a strategy that can be employed in the design and analysis of NMR experiments aimed at determining the conformation of peptides in solution and presents the theoretical basis for this approach as well as some examples of its utility. It also discusses in detail several examples of the applications of paramagnetic ion effects to the determination of the conformation of peptides in solution. The chapter explores few chemical modifications that can be easily implemented to incorporate a metal-binding site in the peptide.