Fluorine-Labelled Proteins for NMR Spectroscopy

Fluorine-labelled proteins will be produced using a cell-free protein expression system that has recently become available, allowing near 100% incorporation of selectively fluorine-labelled amino acids. The fluorine-labelled proteins open opportunities for (i) fundamental studies of protein structure and mobility by NMR spectroscopy, (ii) a novel NMR spectroscopic strategy for determination of the orientation in which small chemical molecules bind to the surface of a protein, and (iii) assignment of 19F- and 1H-NMR signals of proteins of increased molecular weight as spectral probes of structural and chemical changes in their environment.