Probing protein dynamics by nuclear magnetic resonance

Abstract

Proteins are dynamic molecules that often undergo conformational changes while performing their specific functions, such as target recognition, ligand binding and catalysis. NMR spectroscopy is uniquely suited to study protein dynamics, because site-specific information can be obtained for motions that span a broad range of time scales. The information obtained from NMR dynamics experiments has provided insights into specific structural changes or conformational energetics associated with molecular function. In the last decade, a number of new advancements in NMR methodologies have further extended our ability to characterize protein dynamics. Here, we present an overview of current NMR technology that is used to monitor the dynamic properties of proteins. © 2011 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.