In-cell NMR: Why and how?

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy has been a foundational technique in analyzing cells and tissues since the 1950s.
• Its non-invasive nature allows for the examination of diverse atomic nuclei across all living organisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a didactic overview of the diverse data and ideas from NMR investigations on living cells.
• To highlight the historical development and integration of various NMR techniques for cellular analysis.
• To make the review accessible to a broad audience and identify potentially underutilized early NMR methods.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical and current NMR spectroscopy techniques applied to cellular environments.
• Analysis of information derived from NMR studies, covering molecular, dynamic, and interactional aspects.
• Discussion of various NMR setups and their evolution for in-cell and tissue analysis.

Main Results:

• NMR spectroscopy provides quantitative data on cellular atoms, their chemical environments, dynamics, and interactions.
• Valuable knowledge has been generated on a wide range of cellular molecules (water, metabolites, proteins, nucleic acids) and events (pH, redox equilibria, reactions).
• NMR studies have spurred the development of subfields like metabolomics, MRI, and in-cell NMR, enhancing our understanding of cellular life.

Conclusions:

• The integration of diverse NMR approaches is crucial for advancing cellular biology.
• NMR spectroscopy has significantly shaped our atomic-scale understanding of cellular life, complementing other analytical techniques.
• Future developments in NMR hold promise for integrative studies in biology.