Amide proton exchange of a dynamic loop in cell extracts

Intrinsic rates of exchange are essential parameters for obtaining protein stabilities from amide 1H exchange data. To understand the influence of the intracellular environment on stability, one must know the effect of the cytoplasm on these rates. We probed exchange rates in buffer and in Escherichia coli lysates for the dynamic loop in the small globular protein chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 using a modified form of the nuclear magnetic resonance experiment, SOLEXSY. No significant changes were observed, even in 100 g dry weight L−1 lysate. Our results suggest that intrinsic rates from studies conducted in buffers are applicable to studies conducted under cellular conditions.