Volume 16 marks the beginning of a special topic series devoted to modern techniques in protein NMR, under the Biological Magnetic Resonance series. This volume is being followed by Volume 17 with the subtitle Structure Computation and Dynamics in Protein NMR. Volumes 16 and 17 present some of the recent, significant advances in biomolecular NMR field with emphasis on developments during the last five years. We are honored to have brought together in these volumes some of the world’s foremost experts who have provided broad leadership in advancing this field. Volume 16 contains advances in two broad categories: the first, Large Proteins, Complexes, and Membrane Proteins, and second, Pulse Methods. Volume 17, which will follow covers major advances in Computational Methods, and Structure and Dynamics. In the opening chapter of Volume 16, Marius Clore and Angela Gronenborn give a brief review of NMR strategies including the use of long range restraints in the structure determination of large proteins and protein complexes. In the next two chapters, Lewis Kay and Ron Venters and their collaborators describe state-of-t- art advances in the study of perdeuterated large proteins. They are followed by Stanley Opella and co-workers who present recent developments in the study of membrane proteins. (A related topic dealing with magnetic field induced residual dipolar couplings in proteins will appear in the section on Structure and Dynamics in Volume 17).

Three-dimensional structures of proteins determined in solution by NMR spectroscopy have the unique advantage of revealing details of molecular structure and dynamics in a physiologically relevant state; however, the many tedious steps needed to solve and validate a structure make this method challenging. The barriers to NMR structure determination become higher for larger proteins whose spectra are harder to resolve. It is clear that advances need to be made in automating protein structure determination by NMR spectroscopy. The goal of my research has been to use computational methods to advance the development of high-throughput NMR spectroscopy. Accelerating and streamlining the structure determination process will enable investigators to spend less time solving structures and more time investigating challenging biomolecular systems. My goals have been to develop an automation protocol that integrates multiple steps, ensures the robustness of each step, incorporates iterative corrections, and includes visualization tools to validate and extend the results. I developed PINE-SPARKY as a graphical interface for checking and extending automated assignments made by the PINE-NMR server. ADAPT-NMR directs fast data collection by reduced dimensionality on the basis of ongoing NMR assignments. I helped develop a version of ADAPT-NMR (originally only for Varian spectrometers) for Bruker spectrometers, and I created ADAPT-NMR Enhancer as a visualization tool for validating and extending assignments made by ADAPT-NMR on either spectrometer system. I developed the PONDEROSA package to automate the next steps. PONDEROSA carries out automatic picking of 3D-NOESY peaks and iterative structure determinations with the protein sequence and the assignments as inputs. These automation and visualization tools cover almost all of the steps involved in protein structure determination by NMR spectroscopy. As a practical test of this technology, I solved the structure of the 2A proteinase from the human rhinovirus. As a side project, I built a relational database (PACSY DB) that combines information from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and the Biological Magnetic Resonance data Bank (BMRB) and incorporates tools for structure analysis. PACSY DB can carry out complex queries that combine atomic coordinates, NMR parameters, and structural features of proteins.

This book presents a critical assessment of progress on the use of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to determine the structure of proteins, including brief reviews of the history of the field along with coverage of current clinical and in vivo applications. The book, in honor of Oleg Jardetsky, one of the pioneers of the field, is edited by two of the most highly respected investigators using NMR, and features contributions by most of the leading workers in the field. It will be valued as a landmark publication that presents the state-of-the-art perspectives regarding one of today's most important technologies.