An integrated approach to NMR spin relaxation in flexible biomolecules: Application to beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 -> 6)-alpha-D-mannopyranosyl-OMe

The description of the reorientational dynamics of flexible molecules is a challenging task, in particular when the rates of internal and global motions are comparable. The commonly used simple mode-decoupling models are based on the assumption of statistical independence between these motions. This assumption is not valid when the time scale separation between their rates is small, a situation that was found to arise in oligosaccharides in the context of certain internal motions. To make possible the interpretation of NMR spin relaxation data from such molecules, we developed a comprehensive approach generally applicable to flexible rotators with one internal degree of freedom. This approach integrates a stochastic description of coupled global tumbling and internal torsional motion, quantum chemical calculations of the local potential and the local geometry at the site of the restricted torsion, and hydrodynamics-based calculations of the diffusive properties. The method is applied to the disaccharide β-D-Glcp-(1→6)-α-D-[6-math]-Manp-OMe dissolved in a DMSO-d6/D2O cryosolvent. The experimental NMR relaxation parameters, associated with the mathH2 probe residing at the glycosidic linkage, include math T1 and T2 and math-{math} nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) as well as longitudinal and transverse dipole-dipole cross-correlated relaxation rates, acquired in the temperature range of 253–293 K. These data are predicted successfully by the new theory with only the H–C–H angle allowed to vary. Previous attempts to fit these data using mode-decoupling models failed.