Protein sulfenic acids are formed by the reaction of biologically relevant reactive oxygen species with protein thiols. Sulfenic acid formation modulates the function of enzymes and transcription factors either directly or through the subsequent formation of protein disulfide bonds. Identifying the site, timing, and conditions of protein sulfenic acid formation remains crucial to understanding cellular redox regulation. Current methods for trapping and analyzing sulfenic acids involve the use of dimedone and other nucleophilic 1,3-dicarbonyl probes that form covalent adducts with cysteine-derived protein sulfenic acids. As a mechanistic alternative, the present study describes highly strained bicyclo[6.1.0]nonyne (BCN) derivatives as concerted traps of sulfenic acids. These strained cycloalkynes react efficiently with sulfenic acids in proteins and small molecules yielding stable alkenyl sulfoxide products at rates more than 100× greater than 1,3-dicarbonyl reagents enabling kinetic competition with physiological sulfur chemistry. Similar to the 1,3-dicarbonyl reagents, the BCN compounds distinguish the sulfenic acid oxoform from the thiol, disulfide, sulfinic acid, and S-nitrosated forms of cysteine while displaying an acceptable cell toxicity profile. The enhanced rates demonstrated by these strained alkynes identify them as new bioorthogonal probes that should facilitate the discovery of previously unknown sulfenic acid sites and their parent proteins.

The selective reaction of chemical reagents with reduced protein thiols is critical to biological research. This reaction is utilized to prevent cross-linking of cysteine-containing peptides in common proteomics workflows and is applied widely in discovery and targeted redox investigations of the mechanisms underlying physiological and pathological processes. However, known and commonly used thiol blocking reagents like iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide, and others were found to cross-react with oxidized protein sulfenic acids (–SOH) introducing significant errors in studies employing these reagents. We have investigated and are reporting here a new heteroaromatic alkylsulfone, 4-(5-methanesulfonyl-[1,2,3,4]tetrazol-1-yl)-phenol (MSTP), as a selective and highly reactive –SH blocking reagent compatible with biological applications.

A one-pot, three-step strategy for the regioselective semihydrogenation of dienes is described. This procedure uses 9-BBN-H as a temporary protective group for alkenes. Yields range from 55% to 95%, and the reaction is tolerant of a variety of common functional groups. Additionally, the final elimination step of the sequence can be replaced with a peroxide-mediated alkylborane oxidation, generating regioselectively semihydrogenated product alcohols.

SummaryThe present study describes the analysis of several organic acids in tobacco and smokeless tobacco products using a liquid chromatography (LC) method with mass spectrometric (MS) detection (LC-MS). Prior to the application of the LC-MS method, a qualitative analysis for the identification of the organic acids in tobacco and oral tobacco products was performed. The qualitative method used direct silylation of the plant material followed by GC-MS separation and detection. For the acids’ quantitation, a novel LC-MS method has been developed and validated. The acids of interest for quantitation were the following: acetic, citric, fumaric, glyceric, lactic, maleic, malic, oxalic, pyroglutamic, pyruvic, quinic, and trihydroxybutanoic. The LC separation was performed on a Synergy 4u Hydro-RP column 250 × 4.6 mm, with an aqueous mobile phase containing 5% methanol and 0.15% formic acid. The LCMS method has the advantage versus LC methods with other detection types (refractive index, UV absorption at low UV range, or conductivity) of being capable of positive identification of the analytes based on their specific ions, and of having significantly better sensitivity. Unfortunately, the LC-MS method was not generating good results for oxalic acid and acetic acid also expected to be present in some samples of tobacco or tobacco products. The study describes the advantages and disadvantages of the LC-MS method for the analysis of organic acids in tobacco and smokeless tobacco products.

SummaryThe present study evaluated in vitro extractability of various polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from moist snuff, when the extracting agent was water or artificial saliva. The extraction was performed on nine brands of moist snuff samples that are commercially available and were purchased from the market in January 2018. The moist snuff brands were selected to represent brands with different tobacco cut size descriptors and flavors. For the measurement of PAHs, two different analytical methods were used, an HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) method for measuring only benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and a GC/MS/MS (Gas Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry) method for measuring 21 PAHs (including BaP). These methods were modifications of preexistent methods reported in the literature. The results for BaP indicated that by extracting 500 mg of freeze-dried moist snuff with 6 portions of 20 mL water (120 mL), or with 4 portions of 20 mL artificial saliva, followed by two portions of 20 mL water, the BaP remains close to 100% in the solid material and it is not detected in the extracting solution. PAHs with a molecular weight similar or heavier than BaP also showed no extractability. Lighter PAHs such as fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and 5-methylanthracene showed a relatively good extractability. An intermediate group including fluoranthene, pyrene, and benz[a]anthracene showed some extractability in the conditions of this in vitro experiment. This study is not a substitute for clinical studies regarding PAH uptake in human users of moist snuff. However, the results indicate very limited bioavailability of BaP and heavier PAHs from moist snuff. Higher, but variable bioavailability was indicated for lighter PAHs. Important implications of these findings are that: 1) measurably different BaP content of two moist snuff products is unlikely to result in any meaningfully different consumer exposure to BaP; and 2) biomarkers for one PAH cannot necessarily be used as a reliable indicator of exposure to another PAH, particularly if the molecular weights of the precursor PAHs differ since their bioavailabilities can be very different. [Beitr. Tabakforsch. Int. 28 (2019) 214–223]