Visualizing Proteins in Human Cells at Near-Physiological Concentrations with Sensitive ¹⁹ F NMR Chemical Tags

In-cell NMR spectroscopy is an effective tool for observing proteins at atomic resolution in their native cellular environment. However, its utility is limited by its low sensitivity and the extensive line broadening caused by nonspecific interactions in the cells, which is even more pronounced in human cells due to the difficulty of overexpressing or delivering high concentrations of isotopically labeled proteins. Here, we present a high-sensitivity tag (wPSP-6F) containing two trifluoromethyl groups that can efficiently label globular proteins with molecular weights in the 6-40 kDa range under mild conditions. This tag allowed us to detect globular proteins in human cells at concentrations as low as 1.0 μM, which would not have been achievable with ¹⁵ N or 3-fluorotyrosine labeling. Moreover, we detected conformational changes and interactions of proteins in the cellular environment. The new sensitive ¹⁹ F NMR tag may significantly expand the scope of protein NMR in human cells.