The conformation of glucagon in dilute aqueous solution as studied by 1H NMR

The structure of monomeric glucagon in dilute aqueous solution was studied by 500 MHz NMR. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange experiments monitored by NMR showed that the backbone amide NHs form intrastrand hydrogen bonds suggesting the existence of some degree of compact structure. The temperature dependent shift of several amide NH resonances supported the above conclusion. The small J coupling constants arising from the interactions between 6 amide NHs and C alpha Hs (less than 6 Hz) imply a helical structure.