Determination of the secondary structure of the DNA binding protein Ner from phage .mu. using proton homonuclear and nitrogen-15-proton heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy

Abstract

The sequential resonance assignment of the 1H and 15N NMR spectra of the DNA binding protein Ner from phage Mu is presented. This is carried out by using a combination of 1H-1H and 1H-15N two-dimensional experiments. The availability of completely labeled 15N protein enabled us to record a variety of relayed heteronuclear multiple quantum coherence experiments, thereby enabling the correlation of proton-proton through-space and through-bond connectivities with the chemical shift of the directly bonded 15N atom. These heteronuclear experiments were crucial for the sequential assignment as the proton chemical shift dispersion of the Ner protein is limited and substantial overlap precluded unambiguous assignment of the homonuclear spectra in several cases. From a qualitative interpretation of the NOE data involving the NH, C alpha H, and C beta H protons, it is shown that Ner is composed of five helices extending from residues 11 to 22, 27 to 34, 38 to 45, 50 to 60, and 63 to 73.