Self-consistent 3J coupling analysis for the joint calibration of Karplus coefficients and evaluation of torsion angles.

The concept of self-consistent J coupling evaluation exploits redundant structure information inherent in large sets of 3J coupling constants. Application to the protein Desulfovibrio vulgaris flavodoxin demonstrates the simultaneous refinement of torsion-angle values and related Karplus coefficients. The experimental basis includes quantitative coupling constants related to the polypeptide backbone φ torsion originating from a variety of heteronuclear 2D and 3D NMR correlation experiments, totalling 124 3J(HN,Hα), 129 3J(HN,C'), 121 3J(HN,Cβ), 128 3J(C'i-1,Hαi), 121 3J(C'i-1,C'i), and 122 3J(C'i-1,Cβi). Without prior knowledge from either X-ray crystallography or NMR data, such as NOE distance constraints, accurate φ dihedral angles are specified for 122 non-glycine and non-proline residues out of a total of 147 amino acids. Different models of molecular internal mobility are considered. The Karplus coefficients obtained are applicable to the conformational analysis of φ torsions in other polypeptides.