Cross-polarization Magic Angle Spinning Spectra Research Articles

Suppression of glycogen synthase expression reduces glycogen and lipid storage during mosquito overwintering diapause

During diapause in mosquitoes, efficient storage and utilization of energy are crucial for surviving prolonged periods of developmental arrest and for maximizing reproductive success once diapause is terminated and development recommences. In Culex pipiens, glycogen rapidly accumulates during early diapause (7–10 days after adult eclosion) and it is used to maintain energy homeostasis during the first month of diapause. In this study, a gene encoding glycogen synthase, which converts glucose residues into a polymeric chain for storage as glycogen, was characterized. After dsi-RNA directed against glycogen synthase was injected into mosquitoes programmed for diapause (reared under short day lengths), Cx. pipiens were fed 1% d-[13C6]glucose, and the knockdown effects after 7-days were monitored by measuring 13C-labeled carbohydrate accumulation using solid-state NMR. The use of 13C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning spectrum showed a 46% reduction of 13C-labeled glycogen and a 6% reduction in lipid accumulation in glycogen synthase knockdown adult females. In addition, the suppression of glycogen synthase dramatically increased the mortality rate of diapausing Cx. pipiens by 88% at 30-days post injection. These findings indicated that glycogen synthase plays a critical role in regulating glycogen and lipid storages during overwintering diapause, and its function is essential for successful overwintering and survival of Cx. pipiens.

Investigating the Microstructure of Poly(cyclosilane) by 29Si Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and DFT Calculations

Using high-resolution magic angle spinning (MAS) solid-state NMR spectroscopy and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, we determine the microstructure of the silicon-based functional polymer poly(1,4Si6) arising from the dehydrocoupling polymerization of cyclosilane 1,4Si6. 1H–29Si refocused-INEPT solid-state NMR experiments allow the unambiguous determination of the number of attached protons to a silicon atom for each 29Si NMR signal in 1,4Si6 and poly(1,4Si6). One-dimensional 1H → 29Si cross-polarization MAS (CPMAS) NMR spectra of poly(1,4Si6) show the development of SiH resonances upon polymerization, and peak integration indicates an average degree of polymerization of 20. The 1H → 29Si CPMAS spectrum of poly(1,4Si6) also shows two sets of isotropic signals, suggesting the presence of at least two distinct species. Two-dimensional 29Si dipolar double-quantum–single-quantum and single-quantum–single-quantum homonuclear correlation NMR spectra reveal similar connectivity in the two species, po...

Structural investigations of perlite and expanded perlite using 1H, 27Al and 29Si solid-state NMR

Industrial grade perlite and expanded perlite systems were investigated by multifield and multinuclear Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SSNMR), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopies and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The SSNMR studies focussed on the 1H, 29Si and 27Al nuclei using single pulse excitation (SPE) and 1H, 29Si cross-polarization Magic-Angle-Spinning (CP-MAS) conditions, with 27Al Triple Quantum Magic-Angle-Spinning (3QMAS) measurements also being implemented. The resonances at ~ 52ppm detected in the 27Al MAS NMR spectra of the industrial grade and expanded systems are tentatively assigned to tetrahedrally coordinated aluminium, while the resonance at ~ 5ppm, which was only observed in the industrial grade perlite spectrum, is attributed to octahedrally coordinated aluminium. In neither case could the pentahedrally coordinated positions be identified using 27Al MAS and 3QMAS techniques. 27Al data suggests that tetrahedrally coordinated aluminium atoms do not have a significant role in the grain expansion process. The broad resonance envelopes found in the 29Si MAS NMR and FTIR data of both perlites were analyzed by the second-order derivative. The analyses confirmed complex Qn configurations for the perlitic structure suggesting the prevalence of Q3 and Q4 species. 1H-29Si CP-MAS spectra support the presence of Q2 units suggested by FTIR and SPE data. SEM micrographs revealed the honeycomb morphology of expanded domains in perlite after heat treatment.

Experimental evidence for previously unclassified calcium phosphate structures in the casein micelle

1H-31P Cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) measurements of 40-d-old Mozzarella cheese and 20 mM EDTA-treated casein micelles revealed that each sample had immobile phosphorus with the same spectral pattern, which did not match that of native casein micelles. To identify the immobile phosphorus bodies, 1H-31P CP-MAS spectra and cross-polarization kinetics measurements were undertaken on native casein micelles, EDTA-chelated casein micelles, and reference samples of β-casein and hydroxyapatite. The results showed that the immobile phosphorus bodies in the mature Mozzarella cheese had the following characteristics: they are immobile phosphoserine residues (not colloidal calcium phosphate); they are not the product of phosphoserine to colloidal calcium phosphate bridging; the phosphate is complexed to calcium; their rigidity is localized to a phosphorus site; their rigidity and bond coupling is unaffected by protein hydration; and the immobile bodies share a narrow range of bond orientations. Combining these observations, the best explanation of the immobile phosphorus bodies is that bonding structures of phosphorus-containing groups and calcium exist within the casein micelle that are not yet clearly classified in the literature. The best candidate is a calcium-bridged phosphoserine-to-phosphoserine linkage, either intra- or inter-protein.

Polydisperse methyl β-cyclodextrin-epichlorohydrin polymers: variable contact time (13)C CP-MAS solid-state NMR characterization.

The polymerization of partially methylated β-cyclodextrin (CRYSMEB) with epichlorohydrin was carried out in the presence of a known amount of toluene as imprinting agent. Three different preparations (D1, D2 and D3) of imprinted polymers were obtained and characterized by solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy under cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) conditions. The polymers were prepared by using the same synthetic conditions but with different molar ratios of imprinting agent/monomer, leading to morphologically equivalent materials but with different absorption properties. The main purpose of the work was to find a suitable spectroscopic descriptor accounting for the different imprinting process in three homogeneous polymeric networks. The polymers were characterized by studying the kinetics of the cross-polarization process. This approach is based on variable contact time CP-MAS spectra, referred to as VCP-MAS. The analysis of the VCP-MAS spectra provided two relaxation parameters: TCH (the CP time constant) and T1ρ (the proton spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame). The results and the analysis presented in the paper pointed out that TCH is sensitive to the imprinting process, showing variations related to the toluene/cyclodextrin molar ratio used for the preparation of the materials. Conversely, the observed values of T1ρ did not show dramatic variations with the imprinting protocol, but rather confirmed that the three polymers are morphologically similar. Thus the combined use of TCH and T1ρ can be helpful for the characterization and fine tuning of imprinted polymeric matrices.

More insight into characterization of the waterlogged wooden part of Acqualadroni Roman Rostrum by solid-state NMR

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy was applied to characterize the wooden part of a roman Rostrum recovered in the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Acqualadroni area (Messina, Italy). The Acqualadroni Rostrum has been, in the recent past, investigated to establish its provenance and conservation. In this paper, solid-state NMR was used to obtain information on the conservation state of the wood as a preliminary step for the conservation process.A wooden sample of this artifact, collected by coring, was divided in four parts in order to correlate the conservation state to the depth. Results were compared with those obtained for a modern wood of the same species.A structural study was performed by acquiring 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning spectra to evaluate the cellulose crystallinity degree and the lignin condensation degree. In addition, the holocellulose–lignin ratio and the cellulose–lignin residual interactions were determined through variable contact time experiments and relaxation times determination respectively.Being the solid-state NMR a non-destructive technique, all measurements were performed with no modification of the samples such as solvent extraction or other chemical treatment, making the samples available for further analytical investigation.

Solid- and Solution-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Analyses of Ecuadorian Asphaltenes: Quantitative Solid-State Aromaticity Determination Supporting the “Island” Structural Model. Aliphatic Structural Information from Solution-State 1H–13C Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Coherence Experiments

Solid- and solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies of six Ecuadorian asphaltenes have provided insight into using NMR to characterize asphaltenes. For these asphaltenes, free radicals prevent obtaining quantitatively meaningful 1H–13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) spectra but facilitate obtaining meaningful carbon aromaticity values in direct polarization with 13C pulse excitation. The benefit of studying any asphaltene by obtaining a series of CPMAS spectra with multiple contact times, rather than just a single contact time, is demonstrated. Analyzing the CPMAS and direct 13C pulse spectra indicates that, on average, condensed aromatic ring systems become larger as the aromaticity increases, which seems more consistent with “island” than “archipelago” aromatic structures, just as recently proposed for asphaltenes. Solution-state two-dimensional (2D) 1H–13C heteronuclear single-quantum coherence (HSQC) spectra of the asphaltenes provide a wealth of structural information ...

High-resolution NMR of hydrogen in organic solids by DNP enhanced natural abundance deuterium spectroscopy

We demonstrate that high field (9.4T) dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) at cryogenic (∼100K) sample temperatures enables the rapid acquisition of natural abundance 1H–2H cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) solid-state NMR spectra of organic solids. Spectra were obtained by impregnating substrates with a solution of the stable DNP polarizing agent TEKPol in tetrachloroethane. Tetrachloroethane is a non-solvent for the solids, and the unmodified substrates are then polarized through spin diffusion. High quality natural abundance 2H CPMAS spectra of histidine hydrochloride monohydrate, glycylglycine and theophylline were acquired in less than 2h, providing direct access to hydrogen chemical shifts and quadrupolar couplings. The spectral resolution of the 2H solid-state NMR spectra is comparable to that of 1H spectra obtained with state of the art homonuclear decoupling techniques.

Using Salt Cocrystals to Improve the Solubility of Niclosamide

This Article reports the solvent-free synthesis and characterization of a number of different crystal forms of niclosamide (HNic), which is an API belonging to the Salicilamide class. The synthesized compounds are four new salt cocrystals (KNic·HNic·H2O, KNic·HNic·3H2O, NaNic·HNic·3H2O, NaNic·HNic·2H2O), a classic cocrystal with imidazole (IM) (HNic·IM), and two sodium salts, (NaNic·DMSO·H2O and NaNic·DMSO·2H2O). The peculiarity of these salt cocrystals is the API’s concomitant presence as both a neutral component and as a salt coformer and the fact that they interact via hydrogen bond formation. HNic’s poor aqueous solubility makes the enhancement of its dissolution rate via the modulation of its physical properties extremely important. All samples have been investigated using a combination of solid-state experimental techniques which provide complementary information on powdered samples. These techniques are X-ray powder diffraction, solid-state NMR, IR, and Raman. Single crystals were only obtained for KNic·HNic·H2O and NaNic·DMSO·2H2O. The nature of the adducts (whether salt or cocrystal), their stoichiometry and the presence of independent molecules in the unit cell of the other samples were thus all determined by means of solid-state NMR and the comparative analysis of 13C and 15N CPMAS (Cross-Polarization Magic Angle Spinning) and 1H MAS spectra. Furthermore, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and intrinsic dissolution rate measurements completed the characterization and enabled us to evaluate the effects of microscopic changes (molecular packing, weak interactions, conformations, etc.) on the macroscopic properties (thermal stability and bioavailability) of the multicomponent forms. The results obtained indicate that the formation of salt cocrystals provides a reliable method with which to improve the HNic intrinsic dissolution rate.

Observing Apparent Nonuniform Sensitivity Enhancements in Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Solid-State NMR Spectra of Polymers.

High-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) may enhance the sensitivity of solid-state NMR experiments on a wide range of systems, including synthetic polymers, owing to the transfer of electron spin polarization from radicals to nuclei upon microwave irradiation (usually at cryogenic temperatures). Provided that the radicals are homogeneously dispersed in the sample, a uniform DNP enhancement is expected for all the signals in the 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) spectrum. Here, we show that, in the case of methyl group containing polymers, a change in the cross-polarization (CP) dynamics induced by the moderate increase in sample temperature due to microwave irradiation may lead to the observation of apparent nonuniform enhancements in the DNP-enhanced 13C CPMAS spectra. This peculiar behavior should be accounted for when measuring 13C CP DNP enhancements on polymer materials, especially for heterogeneous polymer samples (for which truly nonuniform DNP enhancements could potentially be detected), or when quantitative results are sought.

Acceleration of natural-abundance solid-state MAS NMR measurements on bone by paramagnetic relaxation from gadolinium-DTPA

Reducing the data collection time without affecting the signal intensity and spectral resolution is one of the major challenges for the widespread application of multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, especially in experiments conducted on complex heterogeneous biological systems such as bone. In most of these experiments, the NMR data collection time is ultimately governed by the proton spin–lattice relaxation times (T1). For over two decades, gadolinium(III)-DTPA (Gd-DTPA, DTPA=Diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) has been one of the most widely used contrast-enhancement agents in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we demonstrate that Gd-DTPA can also be effectively used to enhance the longitudinal relaxation rates of protons in solid-state NMR experiments conducted on bone without significant line-broadening and chemical-shift-perturbation side effects. Using bovine cortical bone samples incubated in different concentrations of Gd-DTPA complex, the 1H T1 values were calculated from data collected by 1H spin-inversion recovery method detected in natural-abundance 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR experiments. Our results reveal that the 1H T1 values can be successfully reduced by a factor of 3.5 using as low as 10mM Gd-DTPA without reducing the spectral resolution and thus enabling faster data acquisition of the 13C CPMAS spectra. These results obtained from 13C-detected CPMAS experiments were further confirmed using 1H-detected ultrafast MAS experiments on Gd-DTPA doped bone samples. This approach considerably improves the signal-to-noise ratio per unit time of NMR experiments applied to bone samples by reducing the experimental time required to acquire the same number of scans.

Fingerprints of Phalaenopsis Tissues in Growth and Spike Induction Periods—A Solid‐state 13C NMR Approach

AbstractSolid‐state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (ss‐NMR) 13C single‐pulse excitation spectroscopy in combination with the magic‐angle spinning (MAS) technique was applied to a series of Phalaenopsis tissues, including the leaf, sheath, stem, and root, at different growth and spiking periods. Compared with{1H}/13C cross‐polarization MAS spectra, the 13C single‐pulse excitation MAS spectra displayed very distinct spectral patterns, recognizable as fingerprints of the tissues studied. 1Here, we demonstrate that solid‐state 13C single‐pulse excitation NMR spectroscopy provides a direct and robust analytical tool for studying the various tissues of Phalaenopsis in different growth and spiking induction periods.

Solid-State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Characterization of Chars Obtained from Hydrothermal Carbonization of Corncob and Miscanthus

Corncob and Miscanthus feedstocks were hydrothermally carbonized at 230 °C for 6 h in an autoclave under autogenous pressure, obtaining fine brown powders with higher carbon and lower hydrogen and oxygen contents than the starting materials. The chemical structure of feedstocks and hydrochars was investigated by 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy complemented by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and elemental analysis. In particular, a procedure including CP dynamics analysis and spectral deconvolution was applied to obtain quantitative information on the composition of the analyzed materials from 13C CP-MAS spectra. Miscanthus feedstock contained larger amounts of lignin and crystalline cellulose, which concurred to reduce cellulose exposition to hot water during the hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) process. As a consequence, a lower furan/aromatic ratio was found for Miscanthus versus corncob hydrochars.

In-Situ Molecular-Level Elucidation of Organofluorine Binding Sites in a Whole Peat Soil

The chemical nature of xenobiotic binding sites in soils is of vital importance to environmental biogeochemistry. Interactions between xenobiotics and the naturally occurring organic constituents of soils are strongly correlated to environmental persistence, bioaccessibility, and ecotoxicity. Nevertheless, because of the complex structural and chemical heterogeneity of soils, studies of these interactions are most commonly performed indirectly, using correlative methods, fractionation, or chemical modification. Here we identify the organic components of an unmodified peat soil where some organofluorine xenobiotic compounds interact using direct molecular-level methods. Using (19)F→(1)H cross-polarization magic angle spinning (CP-MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the (19)F nuclei of organofluorine compounds are used to induce observable transverse magnetization in the (1)H nuclei of organic components of the soil with which they interact after sorption. The observed (19)F→(1)H CP-MAS spectra and dynamics are compared to those produced using model soil organic compounds, lignin and albumin. It is found that lignin-like components can account for the interactions observed in this soil for heptafluoronaphthol (HFNap) while protein structures can account for the interactions observed for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This study employs novel comprehensive multi-phase (CMP) NMR technology that permits the application of solution-, gel-, and solid-state NMR experiments on intact soil samples in their swollen state.

Insertion of indigo molecules in the sepiolite structure as evidenced by 1H–29Si heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy

Despite the numerous studies of the famous indigo-based pigment Maya Blue, there are still many questions regarding the elucidation of its structure. Here, two-dimensional (2D) (1)H-(29)Si heteronuclear correlation (HETCOR) spectroscopy with frequency-switched Lee-Goldburg (FSLG) homonuclear decoupling is applied to sepiolite and sepiolite-indigo complexes. Owing to the high resolution in the (1)H dimension of the 2D (1)H-(29)Si HETCOR spectrum obtained by FSLG homonuclear decoupling, the assignment of the (29)Si cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) spectrum of sepiolite is clearly confirmed. Moreover, 2D (1)H-(29)Si FSLG-HETCOR spectroscopy gives the first direct evidence that some indigo molecules are inserted in the sepiolite structure whereas no interaction between indigo and the external side surface (silanol groups) is observed in the (29)Si CPMAS spectra. These results are consistent with the fact that indigo molecules interact with water coordinated to magnesium and suggest that Maya Blue made from sepiolite is not a surface complex.

Determination of Enantiomeric Excess of Leucine by 13C CP-MAS Solid-State NMR

The enantiomeric excess can be determined by many methods. One of them is nuclear magnetic resonance in solid state (SS-NMR). In this study we used the SS-NMR experiment of one-dimensional exchange spectroscopy by sideband alteration for determination of the enantiomeric excess of leucine. The density functional theory gauge-including atomic orbital calculations were used to assign all signals in 13C cross polarization magic-angle spinning spectra for two different molecules in the crystal lattice of L-leucine.

NMR Studies of the Thermal Degradation of a Perfluoropolyether on the Surfaces of γ-Alumina and Kaolinite

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods are used to follow the thermal degradation of Krytox 1506, a common perfluoropolyether, following adsorption onto the surfaces of gamma-Al2O3 and a model clay (kaolinite). The alumina studies are complemented with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to follow the degradation process macroscopically. Molecular-level details are revealed through 19F magic-angle spinning (MAS), 27Al MAS, and 19F --> 27Al cross-polarization MAS (CPMAS) NMR. The CPMAS results show the time-dependent formation of probable VIAl(O6 - nFn) (n = 1, 2, 3) species in which the fluorine atoms are selectively associated with octahedrally coordinated aluminum atoms. For the alumina system, the changes in peak shapes of the CP spectra over time suggest the early formation of catalytically active degradation products, which in turn lead to the formation of additional perfluoropolyether degradation products. Similar to the alumina system, the kaolinite system also displays new resonances in both the 27Al MAS and 19F --> 27Al CPMAS spectra after thermal treatment at 300 degrees C for up to 20 h but reveals a more distinct species at -15.5 ppm that forms at the expense of an initial species (3 ppm), which is in greater abundance at shorter heating times.

Backbone Structure of the Amantadine-Blocked Trans-Membrane Domain M2 Proton Channel from Influenza A Virus

Amantadine is known to block the M2 proton channel of the Influenza A virus. Here, we present a structure of the M2 trans-membrane domain blocked with amantadine, built using orientational constraints obtained from solid-state NMR polarization-inversion-spin-exchange-at-the-magic-angle experiments. The data indicates a kink in the monomer between two helical fragments having 20° and 31° tilt angles with respect to the membrane normal. This monomer structure is then used to construct a plausible model of the tetrameric amantadine-blocked M2 trans-membrane channel. The influence of amantadine binding through comparative cross polarization magic-angle spinning spectra was also observed. In addition, spectra are shown of the amantadine-resistant mutant, S31N, in the presence and absence of amantadine.

Characterization of the amorphous phases formed during the synthesis of microporous material AlPO 4-5

We have used several solid-state NMR techniques in conjunction with powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy to characterize the structure of the intermediate amorphous phases of AlPO 4-5 molecular sieve synthesis. The evolution of the gel phases as a function of crystallization time was followed by 31P and 27Al magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR to obtain information on the local environments of Al and P atoms and by powder XRD to detect the long-range ordering of the gel samples. We have utilized 27Al/ 31P double-resonance techniques such as heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy (HETCOR) to select the 31P–O– 27Al bonding connectivities and transfer of populations by double-resonance (TRAPDOR) to obtain information regarding the degree of condensation for P sites in the amorphous phases. The 1H → 31P cross-polarization (CP) was used to identify the P sites with hydroxyl groups attached. Raman spectroscopy was also employed to follow the evaluation of the pore system. The 13C CP MAS spectra provide information regarding the chemical environment of template molecule in the gel. The work shows that a combination of the above-mentioned techniques can provide more detailed information on the structure of amorphous phases formed during hydrothermal synthesis.

The structural properties of the transmembrane segment of the integral membrane protein phospholamban utilizing 13C CPMAS, 2H, and REDOR solid-state NMR spectroscopy

Solid-state NMR spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate the secondary structure of the transmembrane peptide phospholamban (TM-PLB), a sarcoplasmic Ca 2+ regulator. 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning spectra of 13C carbonyl-labeled Leu39 of TM-PLB exhibited two peaks in a pure 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayer, each due to a different structural conformation of phospholamban as characterized by the corresponding 13C chemical shift. The addition of a negatively charged phospholipid (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylglycerol (POPG)) to the POPC bilayer stabilized TM-PLB to an α-helical conformation as monitored by an enhancement of the α-helical carbonyl 13C resonance in the corresponding NMR spectrum. 13C– 15N REDOR solid-state NMR spectroscopic experiments revealed the distance between the 13C carbonyl carbon of Leu39 and the 15N amide nitrogen of Leu42 to be 4.2 ± 0.2Å indicating an α-helical conformation of TM-PLB with a slight deviation from an ideal 3.6 amino acid per turn helix. Finally, the quadrupolar splittings of three 2H labeled leucines (Leu28, Leu39, and Leu51) incorporated in mechanically aligned DOPE/DOPC bilayers yielded an 11° ± 5° tilt of TM-PLB with respect to the bilayer normal. In addition to elucidating valuable TM-PLB secondary structure information, the solid-state NMR spectroscopic data indicates that the type of phospholipids and the water content play a crucial role in the secondary structure and folding of TM-PLB in a phospholipid bilayer.