Structure Determination of Biological Macromolecules in Solution Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

A detailed understanding of the function of a biological macromolecule requires knowledge of its three-dimensional structure. Most atomic-resolution structures of biological macromolecules have been solved either by X-ray diffraction in single crystals or by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in solution. This review surveys the method of NMR structure determination. First, a brief introduction to NMR and its basic concepts is presented. The main part of the article deals with the individual steps necessary for an NMR structure determination. At the end, the discussion turns to considerations on the influence of the molecular size of the macromolecules on the structure determination by NMR. New techniques are discussed that greatly enhance the possibilities of applying NMR to large molecular systems.