Hidden route of protein damage through oxygen-confined photooxidation.

ABSTRACT: Oxidative modifications can disrupt protein folds and functions, and are strongly associated with human aging and diseases. Conventional oxidation pathways typically involve the free diffusion of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which primarily attack the protein surface. Yet, it remains unclear whether and how internal protein folds capable of trapping oxygen (O₂) contribute to oxidative damage. Here, we report a hidden pathway of protein damage, which we refer to as O₂-confined photooxidation. In this process, O₂ is captured in protein cavities and subsequently converted into multiple ROS, primarily mediated by tryptophan residues under blue light irradiation. The generated ROS then attack the protein interior through constrained diffusion, causing protein

SUBMITTER: Kim S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11686182 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature