title: S-thiolation of individual human neutrophil proteins including actin by stimulation of the respiratory burst: evidence against a role for glutathione disulfide.
abstract: Protein S-thiolation, a reversible modification of protein sulfhydryls resulting in formation of mixed-disulfides, was studied in human neutrophils stimulated with phorbol diester to produce superoxide anion. Rapid S-thiolation of several proteins was examined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Glutathione was identified as the primary protein-bound thio by HPLC chromatography, contributing considerably more than 85% of the total. Minor amounts of homocysteine and/or cysteine were also detected as protein-bound thiols. During the first 30 min after stimulation, 10% of the cellular glutathione became protein bound (2 nmol/mg of protein). There was no increase in glutathione disulfide suggesting that S-thiolation of the proteins did not occur by thiol/disulfide exchange. Approximately 10 mol% of one heavily modified band (29 kDa) was S-thiolated after 30 min. A second major band of 42 kDa was identified as actin. It contained 1/10th of the total protein-bound glutathione and approximately 5 mol% was S-thiolated after 30 min. These experiments identify a subset of S-thiolated neutrophil proteins, including actin, whose modification is related to the phorbol diester stimulation of superoxide anion production in human neutrophils. Ten percent of the total glutathione pool became protein-bound without an appreciable change in non-bound concentration of glutathione or glutathione disulfide. These results suggest that glutathione was synthesized during initial phases of the respiratory burst, compensating for the amount of glutathione that became protein-bound. Since there was no significant increase in glutathione disulfide, it was probably not important in the observed protein S-thiolation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
authors.forename: Y C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rokutan
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004220:Disulfides / Q000378:metabolism*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide; D006801:Humans; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016897:Respiratory Burst; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D004220:Disulfides; D011506:Proteins; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D013462:Sulfur Radioisotopes; D005978:Glutathione; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide