A phospholipid chelate complexed with ytterbium (DMPE-DTPA:Yb3+) is shown to be readily incorporated into a model membrane system, which may then be aligned in a magnetic field such that the average bilayer normal lies along the field. This so-called positively ordered smectic phase, whose lipids consist of less than 1% DMPE-DTPA:Yb3+, is ideally suited to structural studies of membrane proteins by solid-state NMR, low-angle diffraction, and spectroscopic techniques that require oriented samples. The chelate, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, which strongly binds the lanthanide ions and serves to orient the membrane in a magnetic field, prevents direct lanthanide-protein interactions and significantly reduces paramagnetic shifts and line broadening. Similar low-spin lanthanide chelates may have applications in field-ordered solution NMR studies of water-soluble proteins and in the design of new magnetically aligned liquid crystalline phases.

The addition of lanthanides (Tm3+, Yb3+, Er3+, or Eu3+) to a solution of long-chain phospholipids such as dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and short-chain phospholipids such as dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine (DHPC) is known to result in a bilayer phase in which the average bilayer normal aligns parallel to an applied magnetic field. Lanthanide-doped bilayers have enormous potential for the study of membrane proteins by solid-state NMR, low-angle diffraction, and a variety of optical spectroscopic techniques. However, the addition of lanthanides poses certain challenges to the NMR spectroscopist: coexistence of an isotropic phase and hysteresis effects, direct binding of the paramagnetic ion to the peptide or protein of interest, and severe paramagnetic shifts and line broadening. Lower water concentrations and larger DMPC/DHPC ratios than those typically used in bicelles consistently yield a single oriented bilayer phase that is stable over a wide range of temperature (approximately 35-90 degrees C). Among the above choice of lanthanides, Yb3+ is found to give minimal paramagnetic shifts and line broadening at acceptably low concentrations necessary for alignment (i.e., Yb3+/DMPC mole ratios equal to or greater than 0.01). Finally, the addition of a phospholipid chelate, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine--diethylenetriaminepent aacetic acid, is observed to significantly reduce paramagnetic broadening and presumably prevent direct association of the peptide with the lanthanide ions.

The addition of lanthanides (Tm3+, Yb3+, Er3+, or Eu3+) to a solution of long-chain phospholipids such as dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and short-chain phospholipids such as dihexanoylphosphatidylcholine (DHPC) is known to result in a bilayer phase in which the average bilayer normal aligns parallel to an applied magnetic field. Lanthanide-doped bilayers have enormous potential for the study of membrane proteins by solid-state NMR, low-angle diffraction, and a variety of optical spectroscopic techniques. However, the addition of lanthanides poses certain challenges to the NMR spectroscopist: coexistence of an isotropic phase and hysteresis effects, direct binding of the paramagnetic ion to the peptide or protein of interest, and severe paramagnetic shifts and line broadening. Lower water concentrations and larger DMPC/DHPC ratios than those typically used in bicelles consistently yield a single oriented bilayer phase that is stable over a wide range of temperature (approximately 35-90 degrees C). Among the above choice of lanthanides, Yb3+ is found to give minimal paramagnetic shifts and line broadening at acceptably low concentrations necessary for alignment (i.e., Yb3+/DMPC mole ratios equal to or greater than 0.01). Finally, the addition of a phospholipid chelate, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine--diethylenetriaminepent aacetic acid, is observed to significantly reduce paramagnetic broadening and presumably prevent direct association of the peptide with the lanthanide ions.

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