Assignment of the imidazole ring nitrogen protons of histidine 48 in the proton NMR spectrum of ribonuclease A in water solution.

Several exchangeable resonances, designated a, b, c and d are observed in the 11-14 ppm (from 2,2-dimethyl-2-silapentane-5-sulfonate) region of the proton spectrum of ribonuclease A in water solution. We describe a number of lines of evidence suggesting the assignment of peaks b and c to the N1 and N3 protons of His 48, which occupies an interior position in the protein remote from the active site. This evidence includes the observation that the binding of Cu(II) and 3'-CMP (cytidine 3'-monophosphate) has no effect on these resonances. Further evidence includes pH titration data showing a pKa of approx. 2 for these protons, solvent exchange rates in the native state and with disulfide bridges IV-V and III-VIII cleaved, the observation of the carboxymethylated enzymes CM-His12-RNAase A and CM-His119-RNAase A, and of the modified enzymes Des(1-21)-RNAase A (S-protein) and Des(119-124)-RNAase A.

On the existence of a mono-vinyl d-urobilin.

Chromic acid degradation of a d-urobilin, obtained after incubation of bilirubin in fecal bacterial cultures, gave methylvinylmaleimide and methylethylmaleimide. The d-urobilin, molecular weight 588, C(33)H(40)-N(4)O(6), clearly showed the presence of both vinyl and ethyl resonances in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum. These results point unambiguously to a urobilin structure with one vinyl and one ethyl beta-substituent.

Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of lysine-vasopressin in aqueous solution and its structural implictions.

The peaks in the proton NMR spectrum of lysine-vasopressin in aqueous solution at pH 3-5 were assigned to particular amino-acid residues by the use of the results of dilution studies and NH-C(alpha)H and C(alpha)H-C(beta)H decoupling experiments. The conformation of lysine-vasopressin in water differs from its conformation in dimethylsulfoxide.

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies of ribonuclease A in H 2 O.

A resonance (designated a) due to an exchangeable proton titrates (pK(a) = 6.1) between 11.5 and 13 ppm in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of RNase A-0.2 M NaCl in H(2)O at 20 degrees . Comparison with models has permitted assignment to a ring-nitrogen proton of histidine in slow exchange with solvent H(2)O. The pH and temperature-dependent line-width changes of resonance a are analyzed in terms of an exchange between histidine and protonated histidine, without the necessity to invoke any exchange processes associated with protein conformational changes. Several other resonances due to exchangeable protons are observed between 10 and 15 ppm in the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of RNase A in H(2)O.

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of lysine-vasopressin: structural constraints.

The 220-MHz proton NMR spectra of lysine-vasopressin and some related compounds are examined in deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide to obtain structural information that must be satisfied by any proposed conformation of the molecule. This structural information is in the form of dihedral angles (for rotation about the NH-C(alpha)H bonds) from coupling constants, possible hydrogen bonding of the CONH(2) and backbone amide groups from the temperature-dependence of the chemical shift, and aromatic ring-aromatic ring interaction from the effect of the magnetically anisotropic groups on the chemical shift.

Conformation of cyclolinopeptide a observed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The 220 MHz spectrum of the cyclic nonapeptide Phe-Phe-Leu-Ile-Ile-Leu-Val-Pro-Pro (all L), designated cyclolinopeptide A, is analyzed by decoupling, exchange of peptide NH protons with deuterium, and measurement of the temperature dependence of the NH chemical shift. Measurement of the NH doublet spacings gives values of J(Nalpha), the vicinal coupling of alpha-CH and NH protons of specific amino acid residues. These in turn provide estimates of the rotation angles [unk] about the HN-C(alpha)H(alpha) bonds, which in combination with energy minimization studies, allow the determination of the conformation of the main chain. It is concluded that this polypeptide in dimethylsulfoxide solution does not contain intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Deuterium-exchange rates and temperature-dependence studies indicate that of the seven peptide NH protons, five are exposed to solvent, while two, which exchange somewhat more slowly than the others, may be situated in the interior of the ring.

Sensitive criteria for the critical size for helix formation in oligopeptides.

We studied the conformation of a series of gamma-ethyl-L-glutamate oligopeptides by circular dichroism and 220 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. By use of the first technique we noted enhancement of the n --> pi(*) and splitting of the pi --> pi(*) transitions commencing with the heptamer in trimethylphosphate and trifluoroethanol. With the second method we found changes in chemical shifts for the amide protons consistent with the onset of helicity at the heptamer in the solvents noted above. When DMSO-d(6) is used as a solvent, no such chemical shift changes occur because the oligopeptides do not assume helical conformations.