Very simple combination of TROSY, CRINEPT and multiple quantum coherence for signal enhancement in an HN(CO)CA experiment for large proteins.

Sensitivity enhancement in liquid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) triple resonance experiments for the sequential assignment of proteins is important for the investigation of large proteins or protein complexes. We present here the 3D TROSY-MQ/CRINEPT-HN(CO)CA which makes use of a ¹⁵N-¹H-TROSY element and a ¹³C'-¹³CA CRINEPT step combined with a multiple quantum coherence during the ¹³CA evolution period. Because of the introduction of these relaxation-optimized elements and 10 less pulses required, when compared with the conventional TROSY-HN(CO)CA experiment an average signal enhancement of a factor of 1.8 was observed for the membrane protein-detergent complex KcsA with a rotational correlation time τ(c) of around 60 ns.