Semiquinone anion radicals from addition of amino acids, peptides, and proteins to quinones derived from oxidation of catechols and catecholamines. An ESR spin stabilization study.

Either chemical or enzymatic oxidation of catechols or catecholamines in the presence of nucleophiles (amino acids, peptides, and proteins) leads to the production of ring-substituted o-semiquinones which have been detected by ESR spin stabilization techniques. In many cases, radicals have been completely characterized and structures assigned. Chemical considerations point to a mechanism involving addition of nucleophile to o-quinone, followed by oxidation of product to o-semiquinone. These results confirm that addition occurs in oxidizing polyhydroxy aromatic systems, probably via o-quinone, in a reaction considered to account for much of the toxicity found for catechols and catecholamines.