Singlet oxygen-induced protein aggregation: Lysozyme crosslink formation and nLC-MS/MS characterization.

Singlet molecular oxygen (1 O2 ) has been associated with a number of physiological processes. Despite the recognized importance of 1 O2 -mediated protein modifications, little is known about the role of this oxidant in crosslink formation and protein aggregation. Thus, using lysozyme as a model, the present study sought to investigate the involvement of 1 O2 in crosslink formation. Lysozyme was photochemically oxidized in the presence of rose bengal or chemically oxidized using [18 O]-labeled 1 O2 released from thermolabile endoperoxides. It was concluded that both 1 O2 generating systems induce lysozyme crosslinking and aggregation. Using SDS-PAGE and nano-scale liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, the results clearly demonstrated that 1 O2 is directly involved in the formation of covalent crosslinks involving the amino acids histidine, lysine, and tryptophan.