Biological Applications
31P-NMR spectroscopy is widely used for studies of phospholipid bilayers and biological membranes in native conditions. The analysis of 31P-NMR spectra of lipids could provide a wide range of information about lipid bilayer packing, phase transitions (gel phase, physiological liquid crystal phase, ripple phases, non bilayer phases), lipid head group orientation/dynamics, and elastic properties of pure lipid bilayer and as a result of binding of proteins and other biomolecules.
In addition, a specific H-N...(O)-P experiment (INEPT transfer by scalar coupling 3JH-P~5 Hz) could provide a direct information about formation of hydrogen bonds between amine protons of protein to phosphate of lipid headgroups, which is useful in studies of protein/membrane interactions.
Read more about this topic: Phosphorus-31 NMR Spectroscopy
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