A 500 MHz study of peptide T in a DMSO solution

Peptide T, an octapeptide of sequence ASTTTNYT that binds to human T cells, was studied as a zwitterion in DMSOd6 solution by means of proton NMR spectroscopy at 500 MHz. The unusual dispersion of the resonances of residues of the same type (T) makes it possible to assign all resonances to specific residues by means of several 2D techniques. The non-random nature of the conformation is substantiated by the observation of sequential nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOEs). The low value of the temperature coefficient of the chemical shift of the NH of T8 and a diagnostic NOE between the NHs of T7 and T8 hint that a beta-turn including T5, N6, Y7 and T8 is a prominent conformational feature in solution. The ring current high field shifts of the methyl group and of the NH of T8 are consistent with an interaction with the side-chain of Y7, favoured by the beta-turn.