Backbone conformational flexibility of the lipid modified membrane anchor of the human N-Ras protein investigated by solid-state NMR and molecular dynamics simulation.

The lipid modified human N-Ras protein, implicated in human cancer development, is of particular interest due to its membrane anchor that determines the activity and subcellular location of the protein. Previous solid-state NMR investigations indicated that this membrane anchor is highly dynamic, which may be indicative of backbone conformational flexibility. This article aims to address if a dynamic exchange between three structural models exist that had been determined previously.