Nitroxide side-chain dynamics in a spin-labeled helix-forming peptide revealed by high-frequency (139.5-GHz) EPR spectroscopy.

High-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has been performed on a nitroxide spin-labeled peptide in fluid aqueous solution. The peptide, which follows the single letter sequence, was reacted with the methanethiosulfonate spin label at the cysteine sulfur. The spin sensitivity of high-frequency EPR is excellent with less than 20 pmol of sample required to obtain spectra with good signal-to-noise ratios. Simulation of the temperature-dependent spectral lineshapes reveals the existence of local anisotropic motion about the nitroxide N-O bond with a motional anisotropy tau( perpendicular)/tau( parallel) ( identical with N) approaching 2.6 at 306 K. Comparison with previous work on rigidly labeled peptides suggests that the spin label is reorienting about its side-chain tether. This study demonstrates the feasibility of performing 140-GHz EPR on biological samples in fluid aqueous solution. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.