Antimicrobial levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced by the mammalian host defense to kill invading bacteria and limit bacterial colonization. One main in vivo target of ROS is the thiol group of proteins. We have developed a quantitative thiol trapping technique termed OxICAT to identify physiologically important target proteins of hydrogen peroxide (H 2O2) and hypochlorite (NaOCl) stress in vivo. OxICAT allows the precise quantification of oxidative thiol modifications in hundreds of different proteins in a single experiment. It also identifies the affected proteins and defines their redox-sensitive cysteine(s). Using this technique, we identified a group of Escherichia coli proteins with significantly (30 -90%) oxidatively modified thiol groups, which appear to be specifically sensitive to either H 2O2 or NaOCl stress. These results indicate that individual oxidants target distinct proteins in vivo. Conditionally essential E. coli genes encode one-third of redoxsensitive proteins, a finding that might explain the bacteriostatic effect of oxidative stress treatment. We identified a select group of redox-regulated proteins, which protect E. coli against oxidative stress conditions. These experiments illustrate that OxICAT, which can be used in a variety of different cell types and organisms, is a powerful tool to identify, quantify, and monitor oxidative thiol modifications in vivo.chaperone ͉ proteomics ͉ thiol modification

We have used proteomic technology to elucidate the complex cellular responses of Bacillus subtilis to antimicrobial compounds belonging to classical and emerging antibiotic classes. We established on twodimensional gels a comprehensive database of cytoplasmic proteins with pIs covering a range of 4 to 7 that were synthesized during treatment with antibiotics or agents known to cause generalized cell damage. Although each antibiotic showed an individual protein expression profile, overlaps in the expression of marker proteins reflected similarities in molecular drug mechanisms, suggesting that novel compounds with unknown mechanisms of action may be classified. Indeed, one such substance, a structurally novel protein synthesis inhibitor (BAY 50-2369), could be classified as a peptidyltransferase inhibitor. These results suggest that this technique gives new insights into the bacterial response toward classical antibiotics and hints at modes of action of novel compounds. Such a method should prove useful in the process of antibiotic drug discovery.

Thiol-disulfide interconversions play a crucial role in the chemistry of biological systems. They participate in the major systems that control the cellular redox potential and prevent oxidative damage. In addition, thiol-disulfide exchange reactions serve as molecular switches in a growing number of redox-regulated proteins. We developed a differential thiol-trapping technique combined with two-dimensional gel analysis, which in combination with genetic studies, allowed us to obtain a snapshot of the in vivo thiol status of cellular proteins. We determined the redox potential of protein thiols in vivo, identified and dissected the in vivo substrate proteins of the major cellular thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases, and discovered proteins that undergo thiol modifications during oxidative stress. Under normal growth conditions most cytosolic proteins had reduced cysteines, confirming existing dogmas. Among the few partly oxidized cytosolic proteins that we detected were proteins that are known to form disulfide bond intermediates transiently during their catalytic cycle (e.g., dihydrolipoyl transacetylase and lipoamide dehydrogenase). Most proteins with highly oxidized thiols were periplasmic proteins and were found to be in vivo substrates of the disulfide-bond-forming protein DsbA. We discovered a substantial number of redox-sensitive cytoplasmic proteins, whose thiol groups were significantly oxidized in strains lacking thioredoxin A. These included detoxifying enzymes as well as many metabolic enzymes with active-site cysteines that were not known to be substrates for thioredoxin. H2O2-induced oxidative stress resulted in the specific oxidation of thiols of proteins involved in detoxification of H2O2 and of enzymes of cofactor and amino acid biosynthesis pathways such as thiolperoxidase, GTP-cyclohydrolase I, and the cobalamin-independent methionine synthase MetE. Remarkably, a number of these proteins were previously or are now shown to be redox regulated.

We used DNA macroarray and proteome analysis to analyze the regulatory networks in Bacillus subtilis that are affected by disulfide stress. To induce disulfide stress, we used the specific thiol oxidant diamide. After addition of 1 mM diamide to an exponentially growing culture, cell growth stopped until the medium was cleared of diamide. Global analysis of the mRNA expression pattern during growth arrest revealed 350 genes that were induced by disulfide stress by greater than threefold. Strongly induced genes included known oxidative stress genes that are under the control of the global repressor PerR and heat shock genes controlled by the global repressor CtsR. Other genes that were strongly induced encode putative regulators of gene expression and proteins protecting against toxic elements and heavy metals. Many genes were substantially repressed by disulfide stress, among them most of the genes belonging to the negative stringent response. Two-dimensional gels of radioactively labeled protein extracts allowed us to visualize and quantitate the massive changes in the protein expression pattern that occurred in response to disulfide stress. The observed dramatic alteration in the protein pattern reflected the changes found in the transcriptome experiments. The response to disulfide stress seems to be a complex combination of different regulatory networks, indicating that redox-sensing cysteines play a key role in different signaling pathways sensing oxidative stress, heat stress, toxic element stress, and growth inhibition.