Cell-free expression and selective isotope labelling in protein NMR.

Isotope labelling is a very powerful tool in NMR studies of proteins and has been employed in various ways for over 40 years. 15N and 13C incorporation, using recombinant expression systems, is now commonplace because heteronuclear experiments assist with the fundamental problems of peak resolution and assignment. The use of selective labelling for peak assignment has been restricted by the scrambling of isotope label through metabolic pathways within the expression host organism.