Julie A. Reisz

Rapid and selective nitroxyl (HNO) trapping by phosphines: kinetics and new aqueous ligations for HNO detection and quantitation

Recent studies distinguish the biological and pharmacological effects of nitroxyl (HNO) from its oxidized/deprotonated product nitric oxide (·NO), but the lack of HNO detection methods limits the understanding its in vivo mechanisms and the identification of endogenous sources. We previously demonstrated that reaction of HNO with triarylphosphines provides aza-ylides and HNO-derived amides, which may serve as stable HNO biomarkers. We now report a kinetic analysis for the trapping of HNO by phosphines, ligations of enzyme-generated HNO, and compatibility studies illustrating the selectivity of phosphines for HNO over other physiologically relevant nitrogen oxides. Quantification of HNO using phosphines is demonstrated using an HPLC-based assay and ligations of phosphine carbamates generate HNO-derived ureas. These results further demonstrate the potential of phosphine probes for reliable biological detection and quantification of HNO.

Reductive Phosphine-Mediated Ligation of Nitroxyl (HNO)

Nitroxyl (HNO) demonstrates a unique chemical and biological profile compared to nitric oxide (NO). Phosphorus NMR studies reveal that HNO reacts with triarylphosphines to give the corresponding phosphine oxide and aza-ylide. In the presence of a properly situated electrophilic ester, the aza-ylide undergoes a Staudinger ligation to yield an amide with the nitrogen atom being derived from HNO. These results define new HNO reactivity and provide the basis of new HNO detection methods.

Strained cycloalkynes as new protein sulfenic acid traps.

Protein sulfenic acids are formed by the reaction of biologically relevant reactive oxygen species with protein thiols. Sulfenic acid formation modulates the function of enzymes and transcription factors either directly or through the subsequent formation of protein disulfide bonds. Identifying the site, timing, and conditions of protein sulfenic acid formation remains crucial to understanding cellular redox regulation. Current methods for trapping and analyzing sulfenic acids involve the use of dimedone and other nucleophilic 1,3-dicarbonyl probes that form covalent adducts with cysteine-derived protein sulfenic acids. As a mechanistic alternative, the present study describes highly strained bicyclo[6.1.0]nonyne (BCN) derivatives as concerted traps of sulfenic acids. These strained cycloalkynes react efficiently with sulfenic acids in proteins and small molecules yielding stable alkenyl sulfoxide products at rates more than 100× greater than 1,3-dicarbonyl reagents enabling kinetic competition with physiological sulfur chemistry. Similar to the 1,3-dicarbonyl reagents, the BCN compounds distinguish the sulfenic acid oxoform from the thiol, disulfide, sulfinic acid, and S-nitrosated forms of cysteine while displaying an acceptable cell toxicity profile. The enhanced rates demonstrated by these strained alkynes identify them as new bioorthogonal probes that should facilitate the discovery of previously unknown sulfenic acid sites and their parent proteins.

Water-soluble triarylphosphines as biomarkers for protein S-nitrosation.

S-Nitrosothiols (RSNOs) represent an important class of post-translational modifications that preserve and amplify the actions of nitric oxide and regulate enzyme activity. Several regulatory proteins are now verified targets of cellular S-nitrosation, and the direct detection of S-nitrosated residues in proteins has become essential to better understand RSNO-mediated signaling. Current RSNO detection depends on indirect assays that limit their overall specificity and reliability. Herein, we report the reaction of S-nitrosated cysteine, glutathione, and a mutated C165S alkyl hydroperoxide reductase with the water-soluble phosphine tris(4,6-dimethyl-3-sulfonatophenyl)phosphine trisodium salt hydrate (TXPTS). A combination of NMR and MS techniques reveals that these reactions produce covalent S-alkylphosphonium ion adducts (with S-P(+) connectivity), TXPTS oxide, and a TXPTS-derived aza-ylide. Mechanistically, this reaction may proceed through an S-substituted aza-ylide or the direct displacement of nitroxyl from the RSNO group. This work provides a new means for detecting and quantifying S-nitrosated species in solution and suggests that phosphines may be useful tools for understanding the complex physiological roles of S-nitrosation and its implications in cell signaling and homeostasis.

Oxidative modifications of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase regulate metabolic reprogramming of stored red blood cells

Glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) plays a key regulatory function in glucose oxidation by mediating fluxes through glycolysis or the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) in an oxidative stress-dependent fashion. Previous studies documented metabolic reprogramming in stored red blood cells (RBCs) and oxidation of GAPDH at functional residues upon exposure to pro-oxidants diamide and H2O2 Here we hypothesize that routine storage of erythrocyte concentrates promotes metabolic modulation of stored RBCs by targeting functional thiol residues of GAPDH. Progressive increases in PPP/glycolysis ratios were determined via metabolic flux analysis after spiking (13)C1,2,3-glucose in erythrocyte concentrates stored in Additive Solution-3 under blood bank conditions for up to 42 days. Proteomics analyses revealed a storage-dependent oxidation of GAPDH at functional Cys152, 156, 247, and His179. Activity loss by oxidation occurred with increasing storage duration and was progressively irreversible. Irreversibly oxidized GAPDH accumulated in stored erythrocyte membranes and supernatants through storage day 42. By combining state-of-the-art ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry metabolic flux analysis with redox and switch-tag proteomics, we identify for the first time ex vivo functionally relevant reversible and irreversible (sulfinic acid; Cys to dehydroalanine) oxidations of GAPDH without exogenous supplementation of excess pro-oxidant compounds in clinically relevant blood products. Oxidative and metabolic lesions, exacerbated by storage under hyperoxic conditions, were ameliorated by hypoxic storage. Storage-dependent reversible oxidation of GAPDH represents a mechanistic adaptation in stored erythrocytes to promote PPP activation and generate reducing equivalents. Removal of irreversibly oxidized, functionally compromised GAPDH identifies enhanced vesiculation as a self-protective mechanism in ex vivo aging erythrocytes.

Ethanesulfohydroxamic acid ester prodrugs of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): synthesis, nitric oxide and nitroxyl release, cyclooxygenase inhibition, anti-inflammatory, and ulcerogenicity index studies.

The carboxylic acid group of the anti-inflammatory (AI) drugs indo-methacin, (S)-naproxen and ibuprofen was covalently linked via a two-carbon ethyl spacer to a sulfohydroxamic acid moiety (CH(2)CH(2)SO(2)NHOH) to furnish a group of hybrid ester prodrugs that release nitric oxide (NO) and nitroxyl (HNO). Biological data acquired for this hitherto unknown class of ethanesulfohydroxamic acid ester prodrugs showed (i) all compounds exhibited superior NO, but similar HNO, release properties relative to arylsulfohydroxamic acids, (ii) the (S)-naproxen and ibuprofen prodrug esters are more potent AI agents than their parent NSAID, (iii) the indomethacin prodrug ester, in contrast to indomethacin which is highly ulcerogenic, showed no visible stomach lesions [ulcer index (UI) = 0 for a 80 μmol/kg oral dose] while retaining potent AI activity, and iv) that the indomethacin prodrug ester, unlike indomethacin which is an ulcerogenic selective COX-1 inhibitor, is a selective COX-2 inhibitor (COX-2 selectivity index = 184) devoid of ulcerogenicity that is attributed to its high COX-2 SI and/or ability to release cytoprotective NO.

Oxidative heme protein-mediated nitroxyl (HNO) generation

The distinct biological properties of nitroxyl (HNO) have focused research regarding the chemistry and biology of this redox relative of nitric oxide (NO). Much of HNOs biological activity appears to arise through modification of thiol-containing enzymes and proteins and reactions with iron-heme proteins. The reactions of HNO with hemoglobin and myoglobin serve as a general model for understanding HNO reactivity with other heme proteins. Interaction of HNO with catalase and soluble guanylate cyclase may have biological roles. While endogenous HNO formation remains to be described, we summarize work that reveals HNO formation through oxidative heme protein metabolism of various nitrogen-containing substrates including hydroxylamine, hydroxyurea, hydroxamic acids, cyanamide, and sodium azide. Depending on the enzyme, the nascent HNO reductively nitrosylates the heme protein or escapes the heme pocket as HNO. Such results define an alternative metabolism-based route to HNO that may inform endogenous HNO production.

Molecular Basis for the Resistance of Human Mitochondrial 2-Cys Peroxiredoxin 3 to Hyperoxidation

Background: Human 2-Cys peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are differentially susceptible to inactivation by H2O2. Results: Engineered Prx2 and Prx3 variants demonstrate that C-terminal residues modulate the extent of hyperoxidation. Conclusion: Rapid disulfide bond formation protects Prx3 from inactivation. Significance: The reactivity of Prx3 with H2O2 is important for understanding its protective role in the mitochondria. Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) detoxify peroxides and modulate H2O2-mediated cell signaling in normal and numerous pathophysiological contexts. The typical 2-Cys subclass of Prxs (human Prx1–4) utilizes a Cys sulfenic acid (Cys-SOH) intermediate and disulfide bond formation across two subunits during catalysis. During oxidative stress, however, the Cys-SOH moiety can react with H2O2 to form Cys sulfinic acid (Cys-SO2H), resulting in inactivation. The propensity to hyperoxidize varies greatly among human Prxs. Mitochondrial Prx3 is the most resistant to inactivation, but the molecular basis for this property is unknown. A panel of chimeras and Cys variants of Prx2 and Prx3 were treated with H2O2 and analyzed by rapid chemical quench and time-resolved electrospray ionization-TOF mass spectrometry. The latter utilized an on-line rapid-mixing setup to collect data on the low seconds time scale. These approaches enabled the first direct observation of the Cys-SOH intermediate and a putative Cys sulfenamide (Cys-SN) for Prx2 and Prx3 during catalysis. The substitution of C-terminal residues in Prx3, residues adjacent to the resolving Cys residue, resulted in a Prx2-like protein with increased sensitivity to hyperoxidation and decreased ability to form the intermolecular disulfide bond between subunits. The corresponding Prx2 chimera became more resistant to hyperoxidation. Taken together, the results of this study support that the kinetics of the Cys-SOH intermediate is key to determine the probability of hyperoxidation or disulfide formation. Given the oxidizing environment of the mitochondrion, it makes sense that Prx3 would favor disulfide bond formation as a protection mechanism against hyperoxidation and inactivation.

Thiol‐blocking electrophiles interfere with labeling and detection of protein sulfenic acids

Cellular exposure to reactive oxygen species induces rapid oxidation of DNA, proteins, lipids and other biomolecules. At the proteome level, cysteine thiol oxidation is a prominent post‐translational process that is implicated in normal physiology and numerous pathologies. Methods for investigating protein oxidation include direct labeling with selective chemical probes and indirect tag‐switch techniques. Common to both approaches is chemical blocking of free thiols using reactive electrophiles to prevent post‐lysis oxidation or other thiol‐mediated cross‐reactions. These reagents are used in large excess, and their reactivity with cysteine sulfenic acid, a critical oxoform in numerous proteins, has not been investigated. Here we report the reactivity of three thiol‐blocking electrophiles, iodoacetamide, N‐ethylmaleimide and methyl methanethiosulfonate, with protein sulfenic acid and dimedone, the structural core of many sulfenic acid probes. We demonstrate that covalent cysteine ‐SOR (product) species are partially or fully susceptible to reduction by dithiothreitol, tris(2‐carboxyethyl)phosphine and ascorbate, regenerating protein thiols, or, in the case of ascorbate, more highly oxidized species. The implications of this reactivity on detection methods for protein sulfenic acids and S‐nitrosothiols are discussed.

Mass spectrometry in studies of protein thiol chemistry and signaling: opportunities and caveats.

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful and widely utilized tool in the investigation of protein thiol chemistry, biochemistry, and biology. Very early biochemical studies of metabolic enzymes have brought to light the broad spectrum of reactivity profiles that distinguish cysteine thiols with functions in catalysis and protein stability from other cysteine residues in proteins. The development of MS methods for the analysis of proteins using electrospray ionization (ESI) or matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) coupled with the emergence of high-resolution mass analyzers has been instrumental in advancing studies of thiol modifications, both in single proteins and within the cellular context. This article reviews MS instrumentation and methods of analysis employed in investigations of thiols and their reactivity toward a range of small biomolecules. A selected number of studies are detailed to highlight the advantages brought about by the MS technologies along with the caveats associated with these analyses.