Protein mobility and self-association by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance

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Abstract
Hen egg white lysozyme was prepared in which the C.epsilon. position of the single histidine residue is substituted by a deuterium atom as a nondisturbing stable isotope probe. The 2H NMR spectrum in H2O shows a broad resonance (500-1000 Hz) due to the histidine deuteron and a sharp signal from residual HOD. The line width of the deuterium signal increases with pH, reflecting the self-association of lysozyme which is known to involve this histidine. Correlation times calculated from spin-spin relaxation times (T2) derived from the 2H line widths indicate that His-15 is restricted in motion and that lysozyme is predominantly dimerized at pH 7.5. Controls carried out with [.epsilon.-2H]imidazole showed a small pH dependence of the spin-lattice relaxation time (T1), which parallels the 2H chemical shift change upon ionization of the imidazole. Similar results cannot generally be observed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) because of paramagnetic relaxation due to trace metal ion impurities. The pH dependence of the 2H T1 values indicates a change in the 2H quadrupole coupling constant upon protonation of the imidazole ring.