NMR and MRS studies of proteins delivered into cultured cells, towards MR analyses of proteins under physiological conditions

We seek to study proteins under physiological conditions, by delivering ¹³C-labeled proteins into mouse brains and observing them by ¹³C MRS. We previously observed ¹³C-labeled a-Synuclein (α-Syn) embedded in an agarose gel by ¹³C MRS. To examine the feasibility of MRS detection under more in vivo-like conditions, we delivered α-Syn into cultured mammalian cells and observed the cells by NMR, revealing that the delivered α-Syn underwent intracellular interactions and N-terminal acetylation. For MRS experiments with the cells, we constructed a system that perfuses the cells, to prevent cell death over a longer time period.