Nonenzymatic displacement of chlorine and formation of free radicals upon the reaction of glutathione with PCB quinones
2009
Song, Yang | Wagner, Brett A. | Witmer, Jordan R. | Lehmler, Hans-Joachim | Buettner, Garry R.
The reactions of glutathione (GSH) with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) quinones having different degrees of chlorination on the quinone ring were examined. EPR spectroscopy and MS revealed 2 types of reactions yielding different products: (i) a nonenzymatic, nucleophilic displacement of chlorine on the quinone ring yielding a glutathiylated conjugated quinone and (ii) Michael addition of GSH to the quinone, a 2-electron reduction, yielding a glutathiylated conjugated hydroquinone. The pKa of parent hydroquinone decreased by 1 unit as the degree of chlorination increased. This resulted in a corresponding increase in the oxidizability of these chlorinated hydroquinones. The reaction with oxygen appears to be first-order each in ionized hydroquinone and dioxygen, yielding hydrogen peroxide stoichiometrically. The generation of semiquinone radicals, superoxide, and hydroxyl radicals was observed by EPR; however, the mechanisms and yields vary depending on the degree of the chlorination of hydroquinone/quinone and the presence or absence of GSH. Our discovery that chlorinated quinones undergo a rapid, nonenzymatic dechlorination upon reaction with GSH opens a different view on mechanisms of metabolism and the toxicity of this class of compounds.
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