Disulfide reduction potential

The special properties of lipoic acid arise from the ring strain experienced by oxidized lipoic acid. The closed ring form is approximately 20 kj higher in energy than the open-chain form, and this results in a strong negative reduction potential of about —0.30 V. The oxidized form readily oxidizes cyanides to isothiocyanates and sulfhydryl groups to mixed disulfides. 

Cleland (1964) showed that DTT and DTE are superior reagents in reducing disulfide bonds in proteins (see previous discussion, this section). DTT and DTE have low oxidation-reduction potential and are capable of reducing protein disulfides at concentrations far below that required with 2-mercaptoethanol. However, even these reagents have to be used in approximately 20-fold molar excess in order to get close to 100 percent reduction of a protein. 

The hydrazone bond can be reduced to stabilize the linkage by the addition of sodium cyanoborohydride to a final concentration of 50mM. React for 30 minutes at room temperature with mixing. All operations with cyanoborohydride should be done in a fume hood. If the glycoprotein being modified is sensitive to disulfide reduction and potential denaturation, then this step should be avoided. 

Mavicyanin (Mj = 18,000) is obtained from green squash (Cucurbito pepo medullosa), where it occurs alongside ascorbate oxidase [64]. It has a peak at 600 nm (e 5000 M cm and reduction potential of 285 mV. Further studies on this and the mung bean and rice bran proteins [65, 66] would be of interest. All the above type 1 Cu proteins have an intense blue color and characteristic narrow hyperfine EPR spectrum for the Cu(II) state. Table 3 summarizes the properties of those most studied. There is some variation in reduction potential and position of the main visible absorbance peak. In the case of azurin, for example, the latter is shifted from 597 to 625 nm. Stellacyanin has no methionine and the identity of the fourth ligand is therefore different [75]. The possibility that this is the 0(amide) of Gln97 has been suggested [63b]. It now seems unlikely that the disulfide is involved in coordination. Stellacyanin has 107 amino acids, with carbohydrate attached at three points giving a 40% contribution to the M, of 20,000 [75]. 

To further exploit the potential usefiilness of this new family of clusters, monoadduct 54 was saponified into 55 (0.05 M NaOH, quant) and condensed to L-lysine methyl ester using 2-ethoxy-l-ethoxycarbonyl-l,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) to give extended dimer 56 in 50 % yield together with monoadduct in 15 % yield [75]. Additionally, tert-butyl thioethers 52 could be transformed into thiols by a two step process involving 2-nitrobenzenesulfenyl chloride (2-N02-PhSCl, HOAc, r.t, 3h, 84%) followed by disulfide reduction with 2-mercaptoethanol (60%). Curiously, attempts to directly obtain these thiolated telomers by reaction with thioacetic acid f ed. These telomers were slightly better ligands then lactose in inhibition of binding of peanut lectin to a polymeric lactoside [76]. 

Surdhar PS, Armstrong DA. 1987. Reduction potentials and exchange reactions of thiyl radicals and disulfide anion radicals. J Phys Chem 91 6532-6537. 

Many, but not all, proteins are sensitive to alterations in the oxidation-reduction potential of their environment. The effect is caused in part by oxidation of sulfhydryl groups or reduction of disulfide bonds. Not all proteins are equally sensitive to such alterations, but when they are, it is critical to be aware of their sensitivity. The purification or assay of some proteins can be accomplished only by providing reducing conditions (reduced glutathione, free cysteine, dithiothreitol, or mercap-toethanol) in all buffer solutions. 

Covalent attachment has also been exploited for protein incorporation of non-native redox active cofactors. A photosensitive rhodium complex has been covalently attached to a cysteine near the heme of cytochrome c (67). The heme of these cytochrome c bioconjugates was photoreducible, which makes it possible for these artificial proteins to be potentially useful in electronic devices. The covalent anchoring, via a disulfide bond, of a redox active ferrocene cofactor has been demonstrated in the protein azurin (68). Not only did conjugation to the protein provide the cofactor with increased water stability and solubility, but it also provided, by means of mutagenesis, a means of tuning the reduction potential of the cofactor. The protein-aided transition of organometallic species into aqueous solution via increased solubility, stability and tuning are important benefits to the construction of artificial metalloproteins. 

Many mitomycin analogues have been prepared by partial synthesis, and two of them have received clinical trials.Unexpected toxicity has led to their withdrawal, however. The present clinical candidates. BMY-25067 and KT 6149. contain disulfide sulxstituents on the 7-amino group. Control of the quinone reduction potential is especially. stre.ssed in analogue. studies, because reduction is the key step in bioactivation of the.se molecules. - ... 

The disulfide/thiol system constitutes a redox couple whose two-electron reduction potential is equal to -0.1 to -0.3V in proteins (63). The two-electron transfer may involve the following steps... 

In proteins, the easiest way to study this pathway is through reduction by COO. The whole process is a chain reaction (136) acid-catalyzed by the protonation of the disulfide radical (37). The propagation step is the oxidation of formate ions by thiyl radical and thus depends both on the reduction potential of RS /RSH... 

Organoleptic defects in wine due to the presence of thiols, or mercaptans, are often associated with a reduced character. This link between reduction flavors and the presence of sulfur compounds is easily justifiable. Indeed, one characteristic of thiol-disulfide redox systems is its particularly low normal potential (E q) values (—270 < Eq < —220 mV), compared to the redox potential values of wines (-1-220 < E < - -450 mV). It is, therefore, quite clear that the presence of thiols in a wine, and the corresponding hydrogen sulfide smells, require an abnormally low oxidation-reduction potential. This is totally consistent with the impression of reduction on the palate. 

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