Conformation of dCDP bound to protein R1 of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase.

Deoxycytidine 5'-diphosphate (dCDP) is a product and competitive inhibitor of ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase (EC 1.17.4.1) from Escherichia coli. Its conformation in the enzyme-bound state is of importance for understanding the reaction mechanism. Free and bound dCDP are in fast exchange and the transferred nuclear Overhauser effect in two-dimensional 1H NMR was used to obtain information about interproton distances within bound dCDP. The results are consistent with a model of dCDP with the base in anti conformation and the sugar in S-type puckering, when bound either to the complete enzyme complex or to the large protein subunit alone.