[en] The aromatic ¹H NMR resonances of the operator binding domain of λ repressor are completely assigned. Since the resonances of this 23-kilodalton domain are too broad for the application of two-dimensional strategies for sequence-specific assignment, an alternative approach has been used. Assignments are obtained by a combination of one- and two-dimensional NMR methods, by the study of genetically altered domains, and by the biosynthetic incorporation of deuterium labels. The resulting assignments provide sensitive markers for tertiary and quaternary structure. Nuclear Overhauser enhancements demonstrate that the major features of the crystal structure, including the dimer contacts, are retained in solution. The rates of aromatic ring rotation indicate the globular domain is not rigid; significant barriers to ring rotation are observed only in the dimer contact

[en] A strategy for editing interproton nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs) in proteins is proposed and illustrated. Selective incorporation of ¹³C- (or ¹⁵N)-labeled amino acids into a protein permits NOEs involving the labeled residues to be identified by heteronuclear difference decoupling. Such heteronuclear editing simplifies the NOE difference spectrum and avoids ambiguities due to spin diffusion. Isotope-detected ¹H NMR thus opens to study proteins too large for conventional one- and two-dimensional NMR methods (20-75 kDa). The authors have applied this strategy to the N-terminal domain of phage λ repressor, a protein of dimer molecular mass 23 kDa. A tertiary NOE from an internal aromatic ring (Phe-51) to a β-¹³C-labeled alanine residue (Ala-62) is demonstrated

[en] Dimerization of λ repressor is required for its binding to operator DNA. As part of a continuing study of the structural basis of the coupling between dimer formation and operator binding, the authors have undertaken ¹H NMR and gel filtration studies of the dimerization of the N-terminal domain of λ repressor. Five protein fragments have been studied: three are wild-type fragments of different length (1-102, 1-92, and 1-90), and two are fragments bearing single amino acid substitutions in residues involved in the dimer interface (1-102, Tyr-88 → Cys; 1-92, Ile-84 → Ser). The tertiary structure of each species is essentially the same, as monitored by the ¹H NMR resonances of internal aromatic groups. However, significant differences are observed in their dimerization properties. ¹H NMR resonances of aromatic residues that are involved in the dimer contact allow the monomer-dimer equilibrium to be monitored in solution. The structure of the wild-type dimer contact appears to be similar to that deduced from X-ray crystallography and involves the hydrophobic packing of symmetry-related helices (helix 5) from each monomer. Removal of two contact residues, Val-91 and Ser-92, by limited proteolysis disrupts this interaction and also prevents crystallization. The Ile-84 → Ser substitution also disrupts this interaction, which accounts for the severely reduced operator affinity of this mutant protein

No abstract available

[en] 2D ¹H NMR studies are presented of des-pentapeptide-insulin, an analogue of human insulin lacking the C-terminal five residues of the B chain. Removal of these residues, which are not required for function, is shown to reduce conformational broadening previously described in the spectrum of intact insulin. This difference presumably reflects more rapid internal motions in the fragment, which lead to more complete averaging of chemical shifts on the NMR time scale. Sequential ¹H NMR assignment and preliminary structural analysis demonstrate retention in solution of the three α-helices observed in the crystal state and the relative orientation of the receptor-binding surfaces. These studies provide a foundation for determining the solution structure of insulin

[en] The solution structure and dynamics of human insulin are ivestigated by 2D ¹H NMR spectroscopy in reference to a previously analyzed analogue, des-pentapeptide (B26-B30) insulin. This spectroscopic comparison is of interest since (i) the structure of the C-terminal region of the B-chain has not been determined in the monomeric state and (ii) the role of this region in binding to the insulin receptor has been the subject of long-standing speculation. The present NMR studies are conducted in the presence of an organic cosolvent (20% acetic acid), under which conditions both proteins are monomeric and stably folded. Complete sequential assignment of human insulin is obtained and leads to the following conclusions. (1) The secondary structure of the insulin monomer (three α-helices and B-chain β-turn) is similar to that observed in the 2-Zn crustal state. (2) The folding of DPI is essentially the same as the corresponding portion of intact insulin, in accord with the similarities between their respective crystal structues. (3) residues B24-B28 adopt an extended configuration in the monomer and pack against the hydrophobic core as in crystallographic dimers; residues B29 and B30 are largely disordered. (4) The insulin fold is shown to provide a model for collective motions in a protein with implications for the mechanism of protein-protein recognition. To their knowledge, this paper describes the first detailed analysis of a protein NMR spectrum under conditions of extensive conformational broadening

[en] The proinsulin-insulin system provides a general model for the proteolytic processing of polypeptide hormones. Two proinsulin-specific endopeptidases have been defined, a type I activity that cleaves the B-chain/C-peptide junction (Arg³¹-Arg³²) and a type II activity that cleaves the C-peptide/A-chain junction (Lys⁶⁴-Arg⁶⁵). These endopeptidases are specific for their respective dibasic target sites; not all such dibasic sites are cleaved, however, and studies of mutant proinsulins have demonstrated that additional sequence or structural features are involved in determining substrate specificity. To define structural elements required for endopeptidase recognition, the authors have undertaken comparative ¹H NMR and photochemical dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) studies of human proinsulin, insulin, and split proinsulin analogues as models or prohormone processing intermediates. The overall conformation of proinsulin is observed to be similar to that of insulin, and the connecting peptide is largely unstructured. In the ¹H NMR spectrum of proinsulin significant variation is observed in the line widths of insulin-specific amide resonances, reflecting exchange among conformational substrates; similar exchange is observed in insulin and is not damped by the connecting peptide. The aromatic ¹H NMR resonances of proinsulin are assigned by analogy to the spectrum of insulin, and assignments are verified by chemical modification. These results suggest that a stable local structure is formed at the CA junction, which influences insulin-specific packing interactions. They propose that this structure (designated the CA knuckle) provides a recognition element for type II proinsulin endopeptidase

[en] Insulin provides an important model for the application of genetic engineering to rational protein design and has been well characterized in the crystal state. However, self-association of insulin in solution has precluded complementary 2D NMR study under physiological conditions. The authors demonstrate here that such limitations may be circumvented by the use of a monomeric analogue that contains three amino acid substitutions on the protein surface (HisB10 → Asp, ProB28 → Lys, and LysB29 → Pro); this analogue (designated DKP-insulin) retains native receptor-binding potency. Comparative ¹H NMR studies of native human insulin and a series of three related analogues-(i) the singly substituted analogue [HisB10→Asp], (ii) the doubly substituted analogue [ProB28→Lys; LysB29→Pro], and (iii) DKP-insulin-demonstrate progressive reduction in concentration-dependent line-broadening in accord with the results of analytical ultracentrifugation. Extensive nonlocal interactions are observed in the NOESY spectrum of DKP-insulin, indicating that this analogue adopts a compact and stably folded structure as a monomer in overall accord with crystal models. Site-specific ²H and ¹³C isotopic labels are introduced by semisynthesis as probes for the structure and dynamics of the receptor-binding surface. These studies confirm and extend under physiological conditions the results of a previous 2D NMR analysis of native insulin in 20% acetic acid. Implications for the role of protein flexibility in receptor recognition are discussed with application to the design of novel insulin analogues

[en] The aromatic ¹H NMR resonances of the insulin monomer are assigned at 500 MHz by comparative studies of chemically modified and genetically altered variants, including a mutant insulin (PheB25 → Leu) associated with diabetes mellitus. The two histidines, three phenylalanines, and four tyrosines are observed to be in distinct local environments; their assignment provides sensitive markers for studies of tertiary structure, protein dynamics, and protein folding. The environments of the tyrosine residues have also been investigated by photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (photo-CIDNP) and analyzed in relation to packing constrains in the crystal structures of insulin. Dimerization involving specific B-chain interactions is observed with increasing protein concentration and is shown to depend on temperature, pH, and solvent composition. The differences between proinsulin and mini-proinsulin suggest a structural mechanism for the observation that the fully reduced B29-A1 analogue folds more efficiently than proinsulin to form the correct pattern of disulfide bonds. These results are discussed in relation to molecular mechanics calculations of insulin based on the available crystal structures