Orthogonal spin labeling and Gd(III)-nitroxide distance measurements on bacteriophage T4-lysozyme

We present the first example of chemoselective site-specific spin labeling of a monomeric protein with two spectroscopically orthogonal spin labels: a gadolinium(III) chelate complex and a nitroxide radical. A detailed analysis of the performance of two commercially available Gd(III) ligands in the Gd(III)-nitroxide pulse double electron-electron resonance (DEER or PELDOR) experiment is reported. A modification of the flip angle of the pump pulse in the Gd(III)-nitroxide DEER experiment is proposed to optimize sensitivity.