Proton-detection in biological MAS solid-state NMR spectroscopy

In the last years, proton-detected experiments became more and more routine in MAS solid-state NMR. High-resolution proton spectra are obtained in MAS solid-state NMR in case samples are prepared using perdeuterated protein and D ₂ O in the recrystallization buffer. Deuteration reduces drastically ¹ H, ¹ H dipolar interactions and allows to obtain amide proton line widths on the order of 20 Hz. Similarly, high-resolution proton spectra of aliphatic groups can be obtained if specifically labeled precursors for biosynthesis of methyl containing side chains are used, or if limited amounts of H ₂ O in the bacterial growth medium is employed. This review summarizes recent spectroscopic developments to access structure and dynamics of biomacromolecules in the solid-state and shows a number of applications to amyloid fibrils, membrane proteins, and soluble protein complexes.