NMR dynamic studies in living systems

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) can noninvasively monitor the intracellular concentrations and kinetic properties of numerous inorganic and organic compounds. These characteristics have made NMR a useful tool for dynamic studies of living systems. Applications of NMR to living systems have successfully extended to many areas, including studies of metabolic regulation, ion transport, and intracellular reaction rates in vivo. The major purpose of this review is to summarize the results that can be obtained by modern NMR techniques in living systems. With the advances of new techniques, NMR measurements of various nuclides have been performed for specific physiological purposes. Although some technical problems still remain and there are still discrepancies between NMR and traditional biochemical results, the abundant and unique information obtained from NMR spectra suggests that NMR will be more extensively applied in future studies of living systems. The fast development of these new techniques is providing many new NMR applications in living systems, as well as in structural biology.