Design of flavoproteins for spin-hyperpolarization in NMR

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Jörg Matysik; Professorin Dr. Kirsten Zeitler
• Subject Area: Analytical Chemistry ; Biological and Biomimetic Chemistry ; Biophysics ; Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation ; Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 457022772

One of the most sensitive spectroscopic methods, fluorescence microscopy, relies on specific fluorescent agents as the green fluorescent protein (GFP) providing contrast by using specific surface markers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would profit from analogous agents which produce nuclear spin-hyperpolarization upon illumination and also carry such selective surface markers. Here, as first step on that route, we will use the solid-state photo-CIDNP (photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization) effect as source of the nuclear spin-hyperpolarization occurring in small flavoproteins called LOV domains. We will modify the LOV domain by changing both electron donor and electron acceptor as well as the distance between donor and acceptor. Furthermore, we want to construct a chain of donors as it is known to occur in larger flavoproteins as photolyases. We aim for empirically study the magnetic-field dependence and the optimum efficiency aiming to explore the relevant mechanisms producing light-induced 1H, 13C and 15N hyperpolarization, to suppress unwanted side-reactions, and to optimize conditions for specific experiments.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria, Russia
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Günter Grampp; Professor Dr. Konstantin Ivanov, until 3/2022; Professorin Dr. Alexandra Yurkovskaya, until 3/2022