Role of thiol-disulfide exchange in insulin binding to its receptor.

The effects of reduction by DTT, oxidation by DTNB and treatment with NEM on the thiol contents and insulin binding to its receptor in mice liver membranes were studied. Reduction with DTT leads to a parallel increase in the thiol content and the specific binding of insulin to the membrane. Scatchard analysis of the results shows little change in the number of binding sites but a twofold increase of the binding constant. Washing the membrane with bound insulin by a DTT containing buffer results in a more marked increase in the release of bound insulin than washing with buffer alone, suggesting that part of the insulin is bound to its receptor by covalent disulfide linkages through a thiol-disulfide exchange reaction and reduction with DTT leads to a marked increase in this "disulfide-linked" insulin. Treatment with DTNB or NEM of the DTT-reduced membrane seems to reverse the effect of DTT reduction, although the reaction of the untreated membrane with DTNB or NEM had little or no effect on the specific binding of insulin. It is suggested that initially, part of the thiols responsible for the exchange reaction may not be available for reaction with DTNB and reduction with DTT generates further thiols leading to increased specific binding in general and increased insulin binding to the receptor through covalent disulfide linkages in particular.     

Covalent Imprinting and Covalent Rebinding of Benzyl Mercaptan: Towards a Facile Detection of Proteins

A novel synthetic benzyl mercaptan receptor with tunable binding sites was prepared by covalent imprinting using a disulfide linkage which was cleaved and able to recognize the benzyl mercaptan templates by reforming disulfide bonds through thiol–disulfide exchange. These covalently molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared using ambient ultraviolet radiation in comparison with thermal cross-linking at 80°C. Subsequent reduction of disulfide bonds resulted in the formation of surface thiol groups, followed by modification forming sodium thiolate as covalent binding sites. Covalent imprinting was found to be complementary in size, spatial effects, and chemical reactivity to benzyl mercaptan. This covalent rebinding and other various guest molecules were prepared by reforming disulfide bonds at room temperature in protic solvents. The results showed that rapid covalent rebinding is more efficient than other noncovalent interactions.     

Effects of aromatic thiols on thiol-disulfide interchange reactions that occur during protein folding

The folding of disulfide containing proteins from denatured protein to native protein involves numerous thiol-disulfide interchange reactions. Many of these reactions include a redox buffer, which is a mixture of a thiol (RSH) and the corresponding disulfide (RSSR). The relationship between the structure of RSH and its efficacy in folding proteins in vitro has been investigated only to a limited extent. Reported herein are the effects of aliphatic and especially aromatic thiols on reactions that occur during protein folding. Aromatic thiols may be particularly efficacious as their thiol pK(a) values and reactivities match those of the in vivo catalyst, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). This investigation correlates the thiol pK(a) values of aromatic thiols with their reactivities toward small molecule disulfides and the protein insulin. The thiol pK(a) values of nine para-substituted aromatic thiols were measured; a Hammett plot constructed using sigma(p-) values yielded rho = -1.6 +/- 0.1. The reactivities of aromatic and aliphatic thiols with 2-pyridyldithioethanol (2-PDE), a small molecule disulfide, were determined. A plot of reactivity versus pK(a) of the aromatic thiols had a slope (beta) of 0.9. The ability of these thiols to reduce (unfold) the protein insulin correlates strongly with their ability to reduce 2-PDE. Since the reduction of protein disulfides occurs during protein folding to remove mismatched disulfides, aromatic thiols with high pK(a) values are expected to increase the rate not only of protein unfolding but protein folding as well.     

Characterizing closely spaced, complex disulfide bond patterns in peptides and proteins by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Identifying the Cys residues involved in disulfide linkages of peptides and proteins that contain complex disulfide bond patterns is a significant analytical challenge. This is especially true when the Cys residues involved in the disulfide bonds are closely spaced in the primary sequence. Peptides and proteins that contain free Cys residues located near disulfide bonds present the additional problem of disulfide shuffling via the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. In this paper, we report a convenient method to identify complex disulfide patterns in peptides and proteins using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) in combination with partial reduction by tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP). The method was validated using well-characterized peptides and proteins including endothelin, insulin, alpha-conotoxin SI and immunoglobulin G (IgG2a, mouse). Peptide or protein digests were treated with TCEP in the presence of an alkylation reagent, maleimide-biotin (M-biotin) or N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), followed by complete reduction with dithiothreitol and alkylation by iodoacetamide (IAM). Subsequently, peptides that contained alkylated Cys were analyzed by capillary LC/ESI-MS/MS to determine which Cys residues were modified with M-biotin/NEM or IAM. The presence of the alkylating reagent (M-biotin or NEM) during TCEP reduction was found to minimize the occurrence of the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. A critical feature of the method is the stepwise reduction of the disulfide bonds and the orderly, sequential use of specific alkylating reagents.     

Solid-phase thiolsulfinates for the reversible immobilization of thiols

A new method for the reversible immobilization of thiol-containing substances on agarose beads is presented. It is based on the use of thiolsulfinate (disulfide monoxide) as a solid-phase reactive group. The thiolsulfinate groups are introduced by controlled oxidation of thiol agarose. The method comprises two steps: First, mild oxidation of the agarose thiol groups to disulfide structures with potassium ferricyanide. Second, the oxidation of the so-formed agarose disulfide groups to thiolsulfinate groups by use of a stoichiometric amount of the oxidizing agent magnesium monoperoxyphtalate. The solid-phase thiolsulfinate groups react very easily with thiols, which, as a result of the reaction, will be bound to the agarose beads by disulfide bonds. The adsorbent derivative is very suitable for the reversible immobilization of low as well as high-mol-wt thiols as demonstrated with reduced glutathione, penicillamine, mercaptoethanesulfonic acid, thiolated bovine serum albumin,β-galactosidase, and ±₁-antitrypsine. Since treatment of the agarose derivatives with an excess of low-mol-wt thiols (e.g., dithiothreitol) leads to release of the bound molecules and regeneration of the original thiol groups, the reactive thiolsulfinate groups can easily be regenerated by the mentioned two-step procedure. The cycle of oxidation, binding, reduction, and reoxidation can be performed several times while retaining thiol binding capacity.     

Covalent Adaptable Networks with Tunable Exchange Rates Based on Reversible Thiol–yne Cross-Linking

The design of covalent adaptable networks (CANs) relies on the ability to trigger the rearrangement of bonds within a polymer network. Simple activated alkynes are now used as versatile reversible cross-linkers for thiols. The click-like thiol–yne cross-linking reaction readily enables network synthesis from polythiols through a double Michael addition with a reversible and tunable second addition step. The resulting thioacetal cross-linking moieties are robust but dynamic linkages. A series of different activated alkynes have been synthesized and systematically probed for their ability to produce dynamic thioacetal linkages, both in kinetic studies of small molecule models, as well as in stress relaxation and creep measurements on thiol–yne-based CANs. The results are further rationalized by DFT calculations, showing that the bond exchange rates can be significantly influenced by the choice of the activated alkyne cross-linker.     

Covalent Adaptable Networks with Tunable Exchange Rates Based on Reversible Thiol–yne Cross‐Linking

The design of covalent adaptable networks (CANs) relies on the ability to trigger the rearrangement of bonds within a polymer network. Simple activated alkynes are now used as versatile reversible cross‐linkers for thiols. The click‐like thiol–yne cross‐linking reaction readily enables network synthesis from polythiols through a double Michael addition with a reversible and tunable second addition step. The resulting thioacetal cross‐linking moieties are robust but dynamic linkages. A series of different activated alkynes have been synthesized and systematically probed for their ability to produce dynamic thioacetal linkages, both in kinetic studies of small molecule models, as well as in stress relaxation and creep measurements on thiol–yne‐based CANs. The results are further rationalized by DFT calculations, showing that the bond exchange rates can be significantly influenced by the choice of the activated alkyne cross‐linker.     

An antibiotic linked to peptides and proteins is released by electron capture dissociation fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Desfuroylceftiofur (DFC) is a bioactive beta-lactam antibiotic metabolite that has a free thiol group. Previous experiments have shown release of DFC from plasma extracts after addition of a disulfide reducing agent, suggesting that DFC may be bound to plasma and tissue proteins through disulfide bonds. We have reacted DFC with [Arg(8)]-vasopressin (which has one disulfide bond) and bovine insulin (which has three disulfide bonds) and analyzed the reaction products by use of electron capture dissociation Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ECD FT-ICR MS), which has previously shown preferential cleavage of disulfide bonds. We observe cleavage of DFC from vasopressin and insulin during ECD, suggesting that DFC is indeed bound to peptides and proteins through disulfide bonds. Specifically, we observed dissociative loss of one, as well as two, DFC species during ECD of [vasopressin + 2(DFC-H) + 2H](2+) from a single electron capture event. Loss of two DFCs could arise from either consecutive or simultaneous loss, but in any case implies a gas phase disulfide exchange step. ECD of [insulin + DFC + 4H](4+) shows preferential dissociative loss of DFC. Combined with HPLC, ECD FT-ICR-MS may be an efficient screening method for detection of drug-biomolecule binding.     

Plasma thiols redox status by laser-induced fluorescence capillary electrophoresis

High concentrations of total plasma thiols such as cysteine and homocysteine are important risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. We have recently described a new laser-induced fluorescence capillary electrophoresis (CE-LIF) method to measure total plasma thiols, in which the baseline separation of cysteinylglycine, homocysteine, cysteine, and glutathione was achieved by adding the organic base N-methyl-D-glucamine to the run buffer. However, because the active fractions of homocysteine and cysteine responsible for vascular injuries are still unknown, research calls for a set up of methods able to analyze different forms of plasma thiols. In this paper, we present an improvement of our previous method that allows the measurement of different thiol forms. Total, reduced, and free thiols were measured by varying the order of disulfide reduction with tributylphosphine and proteins precipitation with 5-sulfosalicylic acid. After derivatization with 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein, samples were separated and measured by CE-LIF using a phosphate/borate buffer in the presence of 75 mmol/L N-methyl-D-glucamine. Oxidized thiols and protein bound thiols were calculated by difference, free minus reduced and total minus free form, respectively. Linearity, reproducibility, analytical recovery, and sensitivity were evaluated. The assay was used to measure the thiols redox status in 15 plasma samples from healthy volunteers.     

An Auto‐Inductive Cascade for the Optical Sensing of Thiols in Aqueous Media: Application in the Detection of a VX Nerve Agent Mimic

A new auto‐inductive protocol employs a Meldrum's‐acid‐based conjugate acceptor ( 1 ) as a latent source of thiol for signal amplification, as well as optical detection of thiols. The auto‐induction is initiated by a thiol‐disulfide exchange that leads to the generation of β‐mercaptoethanol, which in turn decouples the conjugate acceptor to release more thiols, resulting in a self‐propagating cycle that continues until all the conjugate acceptor is consumed. Using 1 in a two‐step integrated protocol yields a rapid, sensitive, and precise diagnostic assay for the ultratrace quantitation of a thiophosphate nerve agent surrogate.     

A sensitive and selective detection method for thiol compounds using novel fluorescence probe

In this work, a sensitive and selective detection method based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was developed for analyzing thiol compounds by using a novel fluorescent probe. The new fluorescent probe contains a disulfide bond which selectively reacts with nucleophilic thiolate through the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. An obvious fluorescence recovery can be observed upon addition of the thiol compound in the fluorescent probe solution due to the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction and the destruction of FRET. This novel probe was successfully used to determine dithiothreitol (DTT), glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys). The limits of detection (LOD) were 2.0 μM for DTT, 0.6 μM for GSH, and 0.8 μM for Cys. This new detection method was further investigated in the analysis of compound amino acid injection.     

Quantitative determination of SH groups using 19F NMR spectroscopy and disulfide of 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-mercaptobenzoic acid

A new method of measurement of thiol concentration by 19F NMR spectroscopy is developed. The method is based on the detection of products of the exchange reaction of thiols with a newly synthesized fluorinated disulfide, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-mercaptobenzoic acid (BSSB). A significant broadening of the 19F NMR signal of BSSB in the presence of thiols was observed and attributed to the exchange reaction between the parent disulfide and 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-mercaptobenzoic acid. The rate constant for this reaction was found to be equal to (63 +/- 11) x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1) at pH 7.0. The method was applied for the measurement of concentration of glutathione and albumin in rat blood.     

Suppression of thiol exchange reaction in the determination of reduced-form thiols by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection after derivatization with fluorogenic benzofurazan reagent, 7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate and 4-aminosulfonyl-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole

The derivatization of the reduced-form thiols with SBD-F (7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole-4-sulfonate) and ABD-F (4-aminosulfonyl-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole) was studied. The yields of the derivatives of the reduced-form thiols (cysteine, homocysteine, reduced-form glutathione) with SBD-F at 60 degrees C for 45 min in the borate buffer (pH 9.3) were significantly decreased in the presence of the oxidized-form thiols (cystine, homocystine, oxidized-form glutathione) because of the thiol exchange reaction between the reduced-form and the oxidized-form thiols. The use of ABD-F at low temperature enabled the suppression of these thiol exchange reactions, and the recommended conditions were below 5 degrees C for 90 min in borate buffer (pH 9.3). These results suggest that ABD-F is a preferred derivatization reagent for the accurate determination of the reduced-form thiols in samples containing the oxidized-form thiols. In addition, it was also suggested that the derivatization of the reduced-form thiols should also be performed at low temperature when derivatization reagents such as o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and monobromobimane (BrB) are used.     

Kinetics and Equilibria of the Thiol/Disulfide Exchange Reactions of Somatostatin with Glutathione

Rate and equilibrium constants are reported for the thiol/disulfide exchange reactions of the peptide hormone somatostatin with glutathione (GSH). GSH reacts with the disulfide bond of somatostatin to form somatostatin-glutathione mixed disulfides (Cys(3)-SH, Cys(14)-SSG and Cys(3)-SSG, Cys(14)-SH), each of which can react with another molecule of GSH to give the reduced dithiol form of somatostatin and GSSG. The mixed disulfides also can undergo intramolecular thiol/disulfide exchange reactions to re-form the disulfide bond of somatostatin or to interconvert to the other mixed disulfide. Analysis of the forward and reverse rate constants indicates that, at physiological concentrations of GSH, the intramolecular thiol/disulfide exchange reactions that re-form the disulfide bond of somatostatin are much faster than reaction of the mixed disulfides with another molecule of GSH, even though the intramolecular reaction involves closure of a 38-membered ring. Thus, even though the disulfide bond of somatostatin is readily cleaved by thiol/disulfide exchange, it is rapidly reformed by intramolecular thiol/disulfide exchange reactions of the somatostatin-glutathione mixed disulfides. By comparison with rate constants reported for analogous reactions of model peptides measured under random coil conditions, it is concluded that disulfide bond formation by intramolecular thiol/disulfide exchange in the somatostatin-glutathione mixed disulfides is not completely random, but rather it is directed to some extent by conformational properties of the mixed disulfides that place the thiol and mixed disulfide groups in close proximity. A reduction potential of -0.221 V was calculated for the disulfide bond of somatostatin from the thiol/disulfide exchange equilibrium constant.     

Post-functionalization of ATRP polymers using both thiol/ene and thiol/disulfide exchange chemistry

In this communication, we report on a new route to the functionalization of ATRP polymers exploiting their halide end-groups, which were converted successfully into reactive disulfide end-groups, using sodium methanethiosulfonate. The resultant disulfide-terminated polymers could then be reacted with different functional thiols to yield functional polymers exploiting either thiol/disulfide exchange chemistry or thiol/ene "click" reactions.     

Ring Tension Applied to Thiol‐Mediated Cellular Uptake

The objective of the study was to explore the potential of ring tension in cyclic disulfides for thiol‐mediated cellular uptake. Fluorescent probes that cannot enter cells were equipped with cyclic disulfides of gradually increasing ring tension. As demonstrated by flow cytometry experiments, uptake into HeLa Kyoto cells increased with increasing tension. Differences in carbon‐sulfur‐sulfur‐carbon (CSSC) dihedral angles as small as 8° caused significant changes in uptake efficiency. Uptake with high ring tension was better than with inactivated or activated linear disulfides or with thiols. Conversion of thiols on the cell surface into sulfides and disulfides decreased the uptake. Reduction of exofacial disulfides into thiols increased the uptake of transporters with disulfides and inactivated controls with thiols. These results confirm the occurrence of dynamic covalent disulfide‐exchange chemistry on cell surfaces. Mechanistic and colocalization studies indicate that endocytosis does not fully account for this cellular uptake with ring tension.     

DTNB电化学行为的探讨

应用电解还原, 紫外和红外光谱及循环伏安等方法, 研究了DTNB在水溶液中和汞电极上的电化学行为。借助于电解还原和ESR技术, 首次检测到在DTNB电解还原中产生的自由基讯号。研究了该自由基的性质和动力学衰变规律。     

New Design of Thiol‐Responsive Degradable Polylactide‐Based Block Copolymer Micelles

A new design to synthesize thiol‐responsive degradable polylactide (PLA)‐based micelles having a disulfide linkage in the middle of triblock copolymers is reported. They were synthesized by a new method that centers on the use of a disulfide‐labeled diol as an initiator for ring‐opening polymerization, followed by controlled radical polymerization. These well‐controlled copolymers with monomodal and narrow molecular weight distribution (M _w/M _n < 1.15) self‐assembled to form aqueous micellar aggregates with disulfide‐containing PLA cores, which is not toxic to cells. Central disulfide linkages were cleaved in response to thiols; such thiol‐triggered degradation enhanced the release of encapsulated anticancer drugs.     

Partial oxidation and oxidative polymerization of metallothionein

One mechanism for regulation of metal binding to metallothionein (MT) involves the non-enzymatic or enzymatic oxidation of its thiols to disulfides. Formation and speciation of oxidized MT have not been investigated in detail despite the biological significance of this redox biochemistry. While metal ion-bound thiols in MT are rather resistant towards oxidation, free thiols are readily oxidized. MT can be partially oxidized to a state in which some of its thiols remain reduced and bound to metal ions. Analysis of the oxidation products with SDS-PAGE and a thiol-specific labeling technique, employing eosin-5-iodoacetamide, demonstrates higher-order aggregates of MT with intermolecular disulfide linkages. The polymerization follows either non-enzymatic or enzymatic oxidation, indicating that it is a general property of oxidized MT. Supramolecular assemblies of MT add new perspectives to the complex redox and metal equilibria of this protein.     

The fate of sulfur-bound hydrogen on formation of self-assembled thiol monolayers on gold: (1)H NMR spectroscopic evidence from solutions of gold clusters

It is demonstrated that thiols can adsorb to gold without losing hydrogen. Dodecyl sulfide-capped gold clusters have been prepared and subjected to ligand exchange reactions in perdeuterated benzene by addition of dodecanethiol and subsequently dodecyl disulfide. It is shown by 1H NMR spectroscopy that dodecanethiol molecules are readily taken up as ligands producing characteristic broad signals corresponding to the alpha-methylene and S-H protons, with chemical shifts close to those found for thiol in solution; these signals are absent in spectra of thiolate-capped clusters. Addition of excess disulfide to such clusters capped with both dialkyl sulfides and thiols leads to the appearance of sharp signals for free dialkyl sulfide and intact thiol. Amounts of thiols up to 50% of the ligand shell are, however, taken up by the clusters under rapid and irreversible loss of hydrogen.