WW domains are small protein modules consisting of three-stranded antiparallel β-sheet, and involved in the protein-protein interaction for various biological systems. We overexpressed and purified WW2 domain from human AIP4/Itch (a member of Nedd4 family) using a pH/temperature dependent cleavage system. The backbone assignments of WW2 domain were completed, and secondary structure was predicted. Furthermore, backbone flexibility of WW2 domain was determined by ¹H-¹⁵N heteronuclear NOE and amide hydrogen exchange experiments. The structural information would contribute to the structural determination of WW2 domain as well as the interaction study of WW2 domain with various binding partners.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by abnormal polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the huntingtin protein (Htt). There is no cure for HD so far. Although exact molecular mechanism of HD pathogenesis is still elusive, fibril formation of the expanded Htt is linked to the toxicity. In this study, we prepared the expanded Htt containing 46 glutamines, and induced the fibrillation by proteolytic cleavage. Fibrillation of the pathogenic Htt has been monitored by time course NMR experiment. The NMR-based monitoring method could be widely used to screen the candidates to inhibit the fibrillation of the pathogenic Htt.

Liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules, a newly-found phase behavior of molecules in the liquid phase, has shown to its relationship to various biological function and misfolding diseases. Extensive studies have increasingly revealed a general mechanism of LLPS and characterized the liquid droplet; ho wever, intermolecular interactions of proteins and structural states of LLPS-inducing proteins inside of the droplet remain largely unknown. Solution NMR spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful approach as it provides invaluable information on protein intermolecular interactions and structures at the atomic and residue level. We herein comprehensively address useful techniques of solution NMR including the effect of paramagnetic relaxation enhancement for the study on the LLPS and droplet based on recent studies.

Free radicals including reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important chemicals in the research area of biology, pharmaceutical, medical, and environmental science as well as human health risk assessment as they are highly involved in diverse metabolism and toxicity mechanisms through chemical reactions with various components of living bodies. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for detecting and quantifying those radicals in biological environments. In this work we observed the ESR signal of 2,2,6,6-Tetra-methyl piperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO) in aqueous solution at various concentrations to estimate the uncertainty factors arising from the experimental conditions and signal treatment methods. As the sample position highly influences the signal intensity, dual ESR tube geometry (consists of a detachable sample tube and a position fixed external tube) was adopted. This type of measurement geometry allowed to get the relative uncertainty of signal intensity lower than 1% when triple measurements are averaged. Linear dependence of signal intensity on the TEMPO concentration, which is required for the quantification of unknown sample, could be obtained over a concentration range of ~10³ by optimizing the signal treatment method depending on the concentration range.

Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) center in diamond has been an emerging versatile tool for quantum sensing applications. Amongst various applications, nano-scale nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) using a single or ensemble NV centers has demonstrated promising results, opening possibility of a single molecule NMR for its chemical structural studies or multi-nuclear spin spectroscopy for quantum information science. However, there is a key challenge, which limited the spectral resolution of NMR detection using NV centers; the interrogation duration for NV-NMR detection technique has been limited by the NV sensor spin lifetime (T₁ ~ 3ms), which is orders of magnitude shorter than the coherence times of nuclear spins in bulk liquid samples (T₂ ~ 1s) or intrinsic ¹³C nuclear spins in diamond. Recent studies have shown that quantum memory technique or synchronized readout detection technique can further narrow down the spectral linewidth of NMR signal. In this short review paper, we overview basic concepts of nanoscale NMR using NV centers, and introduce further developments in high spectral resolution NV NMR studies.