Using 19F NMR to Probe Biological Interactions of Proteins and Peptides

Fluorine is a valuable probe for investigating the interactions of biological molecules because of its favorable NMR characteristics, its small size, and its near total absence from biology. Advances in biosynthetic methods allow fluorine to be introduced into peptides and proteins with high precision, and the increasing sensitivity of NMR spectrometers has facilitated the use of F-19 NMR to obtain molecular-level insights into a wide range of often-complex biological interactions. Here, we summarize the advantages of solution-state F-19 NMR for studying the interactions of peptides and proteins with other biological molecules, review methods for the production of fluorine-labeled materials, and describe some representative recent examples in which F-19 NMR has been used to study conformational changes in peptides and proteins and their interactions with other biological molecules.