Transimination of Quinone Imines: A Mechanism for Embedding Exogenous Redox Activity into the Nucleosome

Aminophenols can redox cycle through the corresponding quinone imines to generate ROS. The electrophilic quinone imine intermediate can react with protein thiols as a mechanism of immobilization in vivo. Here, we describe the previously unkown transimination of a quinone imine by lysine as an altern...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ye, Wenjie, Seneviratne, Uthpala I., Chao, Ming-Wei, Wogan, Gerald N., Skipper, Paul L., Kodihalli, Ravindra, Tannenbaum, Steven Robert
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Engineering
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: American Chemical Society (ACS) 2013
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/82110
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6774-9639
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0771-9889
Description
Summary:Aminophenols can redox cycle through the corresponding quinone imines to generate ROS. The electrophilic quinone imine intermediate can react with protein thiols as a mechanism of immobilization in vivo. Here, we describe the previously unkown transimination of a quinone imine by lysine as an alternative anchoring mechanism. The redox properties of the condensation product remain largely unchanged because the only structural change to the redox nucleus is the addition of an alkyl substituent to the imine nitrogen. Transimination enables targeting of histone proteins since histones are lysine-rich but nearly devoid of cysteines. Consequently, quinone imines can be embedded in the nucleosome and may be expected to produce ROS in maximal proximity to the genome.