Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Atomic Scale Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies by Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Published on: September 17, 2017
13C and 15N spectral editing inside histidine imidazole ring through solid-state NMR spectroscopy
Shenhui Li1, Lei Zhou, Yongchao Su
1State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Center for Magnetic Resonance, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China. lishenhui@wipm.ac.cn
Solid-state NMR methods distinguish histidine forms by analyzing imidazole ring chemical shifts. These shifts correlate with atomic charge, providing insights into proton transfer in biological systems.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Chemical Physics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Histidine exists in multiple protonation and tautomerization states at physiological pH.
- These states influence biological processes and can be characterized by imidazole ring chemical shifts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) techniques for spectral editing of histidine's imidazole ring.
- To establish a benchmark for distinguishing different histidine forms.
- To investigate the relationship between chemical shifts and atomic charge.
Main Methods:
- Solid-state NMR spectroscopy.
- Spectral editing techniques targeting specific (13)C and (15)N sites.
- One-bond homo- and hetero-nuclear dipole interactions for site selection.
- Theoretical calculations of atomic charges and chemical shifts.
Main Results:
- Successful spectral editing of (13)Cγ, (13)Cδ2, (15)Nδ1, and (15)Nε2 sites in the histidine imidazole ring.
- Demonstrated a roughly linear correlation between (1)H, (13)C, and (15)N chemical shifts and atomic charge.
- Attributed chemical shift variations to atomic charge changes during proton transfer.
Conclusions:
- Developed a reliable NMR-based method to differentiate histidine's various forms.
- Established a link between histidine's chemical shifts, atomic charge, and proton transfer dynamics.
- Provided a valuable tool for studying histidine's role in biological systems.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
¹³C NMR: Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT)
NMR Spectroscopy Of Amines
¹³C NMR: ¹H–¹³C Decoupling
A broadband decoupling technique is used to simplify these complex, sometimes overlapping, signals. Broadband decoupling relies on a...
¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are slanted or...
¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Variable-Temperature NMR
¹H NMR of Conformationally Flexible Molecules: Temporal Resolution

