Free radicals produced in the interaction of cysteine with carbonyls of biological relevance

Abstract

The free-radical-producing reactions between cysteine and the dicarbonyls glyoxal and methylglyoxal have bccn studied. Electron spin resonance data have allowed the radicals to be identified as complex substituted pyrazine cation radicals. A scheme for the production of these molecules is proposed, and a discussion of the relevance of such model reactions to biological charge-transfer processes is presented.