A Xenon-129 Biosensor for Monitoring MHC-Peptide Interactions

摘要

Nuclear magnetic resonance is a phenomenon that can yield spectroscopic and imaging information at the systemic and molecular levels. A highly attractive magnetic resonance (MR) probe in this respect is hyperpolarized ~(129)Xe, as it combines large signal enhancements (ca. 10000-fold compared to thermal polarization) with excellent chemical-shift dispersion (>200ppm in water). Its good solubility and compatibility with biological fluids has yielded important topological information at the level of proteins or whole organs, for example, lung or brain. A critical step in molecular targeting was the development of cryptophane molecules that are able to trap xenon atoms for a time that is long enough for a separate signal to be observed in the NMR spectrum. When coupled to a binding moiety, the interaction with the target molecule can be monitored through the ~(129)Xe signal in the NMR spectrum because of line-broadening, chemical shift changes, or resonance split-ting.