A computational exploration of some transnitrosation and thiolation reactions involving CH3SNO, CH3ONO and CH3NHNO

S-Nitrosothiols: chemistry and reactions

The formation of S-nitrosothiols (SNO) in protein cysteine residues is an important post-translational modification elicited by nitric oxide (NO). This process is involved in virtually every class of cell signaling and has attracted considerable attention in redox biology. On the other hand, their unique structural characters make SNO potentially useful synthons. In this review, we summarized the fundamental chemical/physical properties of SNO. We also highlighted the reported chemical reactions of SNO, including the reactions with phosphine reagents, sulfinic acids, various nucleophiles, SNO-mediated radical additions, and the reactions of acyl SNO species.

Nitrosothiol formation and S-nitrosation signaling through nitric oxide synthases

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous signaling molecule impacting many biological pathways. NO is produced in mammals by three nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms: neuronal (nNOS), endothelial (eNOS), and inducible (iNOS). nNOS and eNOS produce low concentrations of NO for paracrine signaling; NO produced and released from one cell diffuses to a neighboring cell where it binds and activates soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC). iNOS produces high concentrations of NO using NO toxicity to amplify the innate immune response. Recent work has also defined protein cysteine S-nitrosation as a pathway of sGC-independent NO signaling. Though many studies have shown that S-nitrosation regulates the activity of NOS isoforms and other proteins in vivo, many issues need to be resolved to establish S-nitrosation as a viable signaling mechanism. Several chemical mechanisms result in S-nitrosation including transition metal-catalyzed pathways, NO oxidation followed by thiolate reaction, and thiyl radical recombination with NO. Once formed, nitrosothiols can be transferred between cellular cysteine residues via transnitrosation reactions. However, it is largely unclear how these chemical processes result in selective S-nitrosation of specific cellular cysteine residues. S-nitrosation site selectivity may be imparted via direct interactions or colocalization with NOS isoforms that focus chemical or transnitrosation mechanisms of nitrosothiol formation or transfer. Here, we discuss chemical mechanisms of nitrosothiol formation, S-nitrosation of NOS isoforms, and potential S-nitrosation signaling cascades resulting from NOS S-nitrosation.

Effect of alkyl group on transnitrosation of N-nitrosothiazolidine thiocarboxamides

S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) relaxes vascular smooth muscles, prevents platelet aggregation, and acts as a potential in vivo nitric oxide donor. 3-Nitroso-1,3-thiazolidine-4-thiocarboxamide (1), a N-nitrosothio-proline analogue, exhibited a high GSNO formation activity. In this study, two compounds (2 and 3) based on compound 1 were newly synthesized by introducing either one or two methyl groups onto a nitrogen atom on the thioamide substituent in 1. The pseudo-first-order rate constants (kobs) for the GSNO formation for the reaction between the compound and glutathione followed the order 1>2≒3. Thus, the introduction of a methyl group(s) onto the thioamide group led to a decrease in the transnitrosation activity. On the basis of density functional theoretical calculations, the transnitrosation for the N-nitrosothiazolidine thiocarboxamides was proposed to proceed via a bridged intermediate pathway. Specifically, the protonated compound 1 forms a bridged structure between the nitrogen atom in the nitroso group and two sulfur atoms-one in the ring and the other in the substituent. The bridged intermediate gives rise to a second intermediate in which the nitroso group is bonded to the sulfur atom in the thioamide group. Finally, the nitroso group is transferred to GSH to form GSNO.

Thiol redox biochemistry: insights from computer simulations

Thiol redox chemical reactions play a key role in a variety of physiological processes, mainly due to the presence of low-molecular-weight thiols and cysteine residues in proteins involved in catalysis and regulation. Specifically, the subtle sensitivity of thiol reactivity to the environment makes the use of simulation techniques extremely valuable for obtaining microscopic insights. In this work we review the application of classical and quantum-mechanical atomistic simulation tools to the investigation of selected relevant issues in thiol redox biochemistry, such as investigations on (1) the protonation state of cysteine in protein, (2) two-electron oxidation of thiols by hydroperoxides, chloramines, and hypochlorous acid, (3) mechanistic and kinetics aspects of the de novo formation of disulfide bonds and thiol-disulfide exchange, (4) formation of sulfenamides, (5) formation of nitrosothiols and transnitrosation reactions, and (6) one-electron oxidation pathways.

Unprecedented External Electric Field Effects on S-Nitrosothiols: Possible Mechanism of Biological Regulation?

Reactions of S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs), ubiquitous carriers of nitric oxide NO and its physiological activity, are tightly regulated in biological systems, but the mechanisms of this regulation are not well understood. Here, we computationally demonstrate that RSNO properties can be dramatically altered by biologically accessible external electric fields (EEFs) by modulation of the two minor antagonistic resonance structures of RSNOs, which have opposite formal charge distributions and bonding patterns. As these resonance contributions relate to the two competing modes of RSNO reactivity with nucleophiles, via N- or S-atom directed nucleophilic attack, EEFs are predicted to be efficient in controlling biologically important RSNO reactions with thiols. For instance, EEF catalysis might be one of the mechanisms behind the high selectivity of protein trans-S-nitrosation reactions, or putative nitroxyl HNO formation via RSNO S-thiolation reactions.

Nitrosation of malononitrile by HONO, ClNO and N₂O₃: a theoretical study

Nitrosation reactions of malononitrile by three nitrosating agents, HONO, ClNO, and N(2)O(3), have been theoretically investigated at the B3LYP/cc-pVTZ and MP2/cc-pVDZ levels. Two possible competitive paths for nitrosation of malononitrile to give 2-nitroso-malononitrile were proposed: (a) direct C-nitrosation and (b) N-nitrosation and subsequent nitroso transfer from N to C atom. The calculations show that at both B3LYP and MP2 levels, path b is kinetically favored over path a for nitrosations by HONO and N(2)O(3). In the case of ClNO, the B3LYP predicts preference of path b, while the MP2 calculations suggest that both paths have similar rate-determining barriers. The data suggest that N(2)O(3) is the preferred nitrosating agent for the nitrosation of malononitrile in aqueous solution. Transformation of 2-nitroso-malononitrile to form malononitrileoxime via intramolecular proton transfer has also been explored, and it is found that inclusion of an assistant water molecule can drastically accelerate the tautomerization.