Solid-state NMR articles from across Nature Portfolio

Type 1 pili are crucial cell surface bacterial virulence factors. Here, the authors show that FimD is required to assemble the most stable quaternary pilus structure by ensuring that the resulting protein polymer is free of structural defects.

The accumulation of alpha-synuclein fibrils within neurons is the defining feature of Lewy body dementia (LBD). Here the authors report a method to produce large quantities of alpha-synuclein fibrils that reproduce the complex structure of the fibrils that accumulate in LBD brain tissue.

Alzheimer’s plaques contain a high amount of Aβ fibrils and a high concentration of lipids. The authors determined structures of Aβ40 fibrils grown in the presence of lipids, revealing high-resolution details of potentially disease-relevant fibril-lipid interactions.

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii produces a glycoprotein-rich cell wall. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry approaches, this study reveals unprecedented details on its protein and carbohydrate content, and provide an atomic-level architecture model.

This study identifies potential aggregation hotspots on the fibril surface of Alzheimer’s disease associated Aβ42 fibrils, which are blocked by the anti-amyloid chaperone-like domain BRICHOS.

A solid-state NMR study on the ABC transporter MsbA demonstrates the interplay between transmembrane- and nucleotide-binding domains via both coupling helices.

We demonstrated increased phospholipid peroxidation due to the formation of monolysocardiolipin–cytochrome c complexes in tafazzin-deficient models of Barth syndrome. We found that a specific anti-peroxidase agent inhibited this complex and improved mitochondrial respiration. Thus, targeting the deleterious peroxidase activity offers a potential therapeutic approach to treat Barth syndrome.

Elucidating the reaction mechanism of a catalytic process is very challenging. Now, advanced solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments demonstrate the importance of oxygenates to regulate the conversion of synthesis gas over an oxide–zeolite-based bifunctional catalyst material.

An article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports a surface treatment method that enables biocompatible, versatile and chemically stable functionalization of diamond quantum sensors.

A newly developed method allows structure elucidation of proteins inside intact mammalian cells, using solid-state NMR spectroscopy.

Sporopollenin, which encapsulates gametes in spore and pollen grains, is probably the most chemically inert biopolymer. This inertness is essential for gamete protection, but also hinders the elucidation of sporopollenin molecular structure. Now, the macromolecular network forming sporopollenin is described in unprecedented detail.

Generating pure spin currents is a necessary part of many spintronic devices. Now there is a new mechanism for doing this, utilizing nuclear spin waves.