Proline Ring-Inversion Dynamics in Peptides Enable Cross-Relaxation-Based Dynamic Nuclear Polarization

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is commonly used to uniformly enhance magic-angle spinning (MAS) NMR signals, but recent efforts have focused on achieving site-specific enhancement to address severe spectral crowding in large biomolecular systems. One promising strategy is specific cross-relaxation enhancement by active motions under DNP (SCREAM-DNP), which often exploits fast reorientational dynamics-most notably of methyl groups-even at cryogenic temperatures. Beyond methyl groups, SCREAM-DNP has also been demonstrated in molecular ring systems that retainactive conformational dynamics. Proline is a particularly relevant example, as its five-membered ring undergoes puckering dynamics that can persist under DNP conditions. While SCREAM-DNP has been observed for free proline in frozen solution, the impact of incorporation within peptides on these dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, we present a systematic investigation of SCREAM-DNP in proline and proline-containing derivatives to elucidate how local structural context modulates the underlying dynamics. By comparing a series of dipeptides with proline at different sequence positions, we identify structural motifs that influence SCREAM-DNP efficiency. These experimental results are further supported by energy barrier calculations, providing mechanistic insight into the conformational dynamics governing site-specific DNP enhancement and guiding potential applications in structural biology.