Sulfinyl radical formation from the reaction of cysteine and glutathione thiyl radicals with molecular oxygen.

Using Electron Spin Resonance spectroscopy at low temperatures, we find that thiyl radicals resulting from irradiation of frozen aqueous solutions of a variety of thiols, including cysteine, glutathione, and penicillamine react with oxygen to form sulfinyl (RSO.) radicals. The identity of the cysteine sulfinyl radical has been confirmed by the use of molecular oxygen isotopically labeled with 17O. Previous workers have suggested the reaction of thiyl radicals and molecular oxygen resulted in the formation of the potentially damaging thiol peroxyl radical, RSOO.; our work shows no evidence for this species. The sulfinyl radicals are suggested to result from a direct reaction between thiyl radicals and molecular oxygen. This reaction results in the cleavage of the dioxygen bond.