EPR-based approach for the localization of paramagnetic metal ions in biomolecules.

Metal ions play an important role in the catalysis and folding of proteins and oligonucleotides. Their localization within the three-dimensional fold of such biomolecules is therefore an important goal in understanding structure-function relationships. A trilateration approach for the localization of metal ions by means of long-range distance measurements based on electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is introduced. The approach is tested on the Cu(2+) center of azurin, and factors affecting the precision of the method are discussed.