Quo vadis? NMR as an eminent
tool for structural and systems biology
Vladimír Sklenář
National Centre for Biomolecular Research,
Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská
2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
During past twenty
years, NMR has established as a prominent technique of chemical and biomedical
research and as an eminent tool of structural biology. Compared to X-ray diffraction,
NMR, by going beyond the static picture of the 3D structure, provides more than
just structural information. Functionally relevant data can be retrieved about
molecular dynamics on time scales spanning over 14 orders of magnitude, ranging
from 10-12 sec to 102 sec, as well as on weak and
transient intermolecular interactions within large molecular assemblies. By NMR,
also systems that do not tend to crystallize, such as intrinsically
unstructured protein, large protein aggregates, and protein-nucleic acid
complexes, can be closely investigated; moreover, in physiologically relevant
states, where pH, temperature, and salt concentrations can be matched to the
conditions in the living cell. The lecture will review the current developments
of bio-NMR technology using examples of recently published results. NMR potential
of making important contributions to the development of systems biology will be
briefly outlined.
Acknowledgment:
This work was supported by the Grants MSM0021622413 and
LC06030 of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Physical Culture of the