The physiological complex of yeast cytochrome c peroxidase and iso-1-cytochrome c is a paradigm for biological electron transfer. Using paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy, we have determined the conformation of the protein complex in solution, which is shown to be very similar to that observed in the crystal structure [ electron transfer ͉ encounter state ͉ transient complex ͉ spin label ͉ paramagnetic relaxation enhancement T he process of protein complex formation can be described by a two-step model, in which a short-lived, dynamic encounter complex precedes a dominant, well defined state (Fig. 1). The former enables proteins to undergo reduced-dimensionality search of the optimal binding geometry, thereby accelerating molecular association as compared with 3D diffusion (1). Fast molecular association is essential for protein-protein complexes that require high turnover rates, like those involved in electron transfer (ET) in photosynthesis, respiration, and other metabolic processes (2). The physiological complex of yeast iso-1-cytochrome c (Cc) and yeast cytochrome c peroxidase (CcP) is a paradigm for the intermolecular ET (3) and is one of the few transient ET complexes for which a crystal structure has been solved (4). A recent study has confirmed that the protein-protein orientation observed in the crystal is ET-active (5). However, it has remained a matter of debate whether this structure represents the only form in solution (6-8). According to several studies, the complex is dynamic, and the crystal structure might represent only a subpopulation of protein orientations (9-15). Recent studies show that the photoinduced ET between Znsubstituted CcP and Cc, both in the crystal (8, 16) and in solution (17), occurs with faster backward than forward rates, indicating that the complex is present in multiple forms, only a few of which are .Characterization of the binding interface in the dynamic encounter state (Fig. 1B) has so far proven to be elusive. Investigation of protein complexes by using x-ray crystallography or conventional NMR spectroscopy addresses only the singleorientation species (Fig. 1C), and the only way to visualize the dynamic state is offered by theoretical modeling studies (11,18). In the recent, elegant work of Clore and coworkers (19,20), it was shown how paramagnetic relaxation can be applied to study the dynamic state of protein-DNA complexes. We report on the application of an analogous experimental approach that allows us to define both the dominant protein-protein orientation (Fig. 1C) and the conformational space sampled by the proteins in the dynamic encounter complex (Fig. 1B). Results and DiscussionSolution Structure of the Complex. The concept of the approach is that NMR resonance intensities of one of the proteins in the complex are affected by a paramagnetic spin label covalently attached to the other protein (Fig. 2). The paramagnetic effects are converted into distance restraints (21-23), which can be used to calculate protein-protein orientations within the complex (24). Five ...