Measuring Hydroxyl Exchange Rates in Glycans Using a Synergistic Combination of Saturation Transfer and Relaxation Dispersion NMR

Molecular recognition events mediated by glycans play pivotal roles in controlling the fate of diverse biological processes such as cellular communication and the immune response. The affinity of glycans for their target receptors is governed primarily by the hydrogen bonds formed by hydroxyl groups decorating the glycan surface. Hydroxyl exchange rate constants are therefore vital parameters that report on glycan structure and dynamics. Here we present a strategy for characterizing hydroxyl hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange in glycans that employs a synergistic combination of ¹³C chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) and Carr–Purcell–Meiboom–Gill relaxation dispersion (CPMG) NMR methods. We show that the combination of CEST and CPMG experiments facilitates the sensitive detection of the small (∼0.1 ppm) two-bond deuterium isotope shift on a ¹³C nucleus when the attached hydroxyl group fluctuates between protonated and deuterated states. This shift is leveraged for measuring site-specific kinetic H/D exchange rate constants as well as thermodynamic free energies of isotope fractionation. The CEST and CPMG modules are integrated with a selective J-cross-polarization scheme that provides the flexibility for rapid characterization of H/D exchange at a specific hydroxyl site. Moreover, our approach enables the precise isothermal measurement of hydroxyl exchange rate constants without the need for cumbersome isotope labeling. The H/D exchange rate constants of three different glycans assessed using this method highlight its potential for detecting transient intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds. In addition, the trends in H/D exchange rate constants establish site-specific steric accessibility as a key determinant of solvent exchange dynamics in glycans.