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Research is presented concerning the use of high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy to determine the structure of the 141-159 sequence of the foot-and-mouth disease virus capsid viral protein VP1.

A poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(methylidene malonate 2.1.2) block copolymer (PEO-b-PMM 2.1.2) bearing a mannose moiety at the poly(ethylene oxide) chain end was synthesized by sequential anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide (EO) and methylidene malonate 2.1.2 (MM 2.1.2), followed by a coupling reaction between its poly(ethylene oxide) amino- or aldehyde-end group and a sugar derivative. Different coupling procedures, either in organic media or in aqueous micellar solutions, were examined in order to optimize the poly(ethylene oxide) end-glycosylation yield. The micellar size of the functionalized block copolymers was determined by dynamic light scattering.

A novel resin called DEUSS (perdeuterated poly(oxyethylene)-based solid support) has been prepared by anionic polymerization of deuterated [D4]ethylene oxide, followed by cross-linking with deuterated epichlorohydrin. DEUSS can be suspended in a wide range of solvents including organic and aqueous solutions, in which it displays a high swelling capacity. As measured by proton HRMAS of the swollen polymer, the signal intensity of the oxyethylene protons is reduced by a factor of 110 relative to the corresponding nondeuterated poly(oxyethylene)poly(oxypropylene) (POEPOP) resin, thus facilitating detailed HRMAS NMR studies of covalently linked molecules. This 1H NMR invisible matrix was used for the solid-phase synthesis of peptides, oligoureas, and a series of amides as well as their characterization by HRMAS NMR spectroscopy. On-bead NMR spectra of high quality and with resolution comparable to that of liquid samples were obtained and readily interpreted. The complete absence of the parasite resin signals will be of great advantage, for example, for the optimization of multistep solid-phase stereoselective reactions, and for the conformational study of resin-bound molecules in a large variety of solvents.