The bioactivation mechanism of S-(1,2-dichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (DCVC) and S-(1,2,2-trichlorovinyl)-L-cysteine (TCVC) was studied with cysteine conjugate beta-lyase (beta-lyase) from Salmonella typhimurium and with the pyridoxal phosphate model N-dodecylpyridoxal bromide (PL-Br) as catalysts and with GC/MS to identify the metabolites formed. PL-Br converted S-2-benzothiazolyl-L-cysteine to 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and S-benzyl-L-cysteine to benzyl mercaptan, demonstrating the ability of PL-Br to serve as a model for beta-lyase. PL-Br and bacterial beta-lyase converted DCVC to chloroacetic acid and chlorothionoacetic acid and TCVC to dichloroacetic acid. Incubations of PL-Br with the S-conjugates in the presence of diethylamine resulted in the formation of N,N-diethylchlorothioacetamide from DCVC and of N,N-diethyldichlorothioacetamide from TCVC. Attempts to trap the enethiols, which are the expected initial products formed by beta-elimination, by reaction with methyl iodide in incubations with the beta-lyase model were not successful. The formation of thioacylating agents from the enethiols may contribute to the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of DCVC and TCVC.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.