We investigated correlated µs-ms time scale motions of neighboring 13C'-15N and 13Cα-13Cβ nuclei in both protonated and perdeuterated samples of GB3. The techniques employed, NMR relaxation due to cross-correlated chemical shift modulations, specifically target concerted changes in the isotropic chemical shifts of the two nuclei associated with spatial fluctuations. Field-dependence of the relaxation rates permits identification of the parameters defining the chemical exchange rate constant under the assumption of a two-site exchange. The time scale of motions falls into the intermediate to fast regime (with respect to the chemical shift time scale, 100-400 s-1 range) for the 13C'-15N pairs and into the slow to intermediate regime for the 13Cα-13Cβ pairs (about 150 s-1). Comparison of the results obtained for protonated and deuterated GB3 suggests that deuteration has a tendency to reduce these slow scale correlated motions, especially for the 13Cα-13Cβ pairs.
Keywords: Correlated motions; Cross-correlation NMR relaxation; Deuteration; GB3; Protein dynamics.