Detection of internal motions in oligosaccharides by proton relaxation measurements at different magnetic fields

Abstract

The effect of internal motions on proton relaxation data in oligosaccharides has been investigated experimentally. H-1 steady-state and transient NOEs together with C-13 T1's have been measured at two magnetic field strengths. The existence of internal motions leads to additional modulations of the dipolar interaction between proton pairs, thus producing a range of spectral density functions for these interactions. As a result, it is possible to show that protons relaxing through fixed distances have a different ratio of relaxation parameters, acquired at 500 and 300 MHz, compared to those relaxing through fluctuating distances. This approach has been used to unequivocally establish for two disaccharides the existence of internal motions on the time scale of the overall tumbling.