Selective trapping of SNO-BSA and GSNO by benzenesulfinic acid sodium salt: mechanistic study of thiosulfonate formation and feasibility as a protein S-nitrosothiol detection strategy

The conversion of S-nitrosothiols to thiosulfonates by reaction with the sodium salt of benzenesulfinic acid (PhSO2Na) has been examined in detail with the exemplary substrates S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and S-nitrosylated bovine serum albumin (SNO-BSA). The reaction stoichiometry (2:1, PhSO2Na:RSNO) and the rate law (first order in both PhSO2Na and RSNO) have been determined under mild acidic conditions (pH 4.0). The products have been identified as the corresponding thiosulfonates (GSSO2Ph and BSA-SSO2Ph) along with PhSO2NHOH obtained in a 1:1 ratio. GSH, GSSG, and BSA were unreactive to PhSO2Na.