Recent advances in the analysis of oxidized proteins

Glutamic semialdehyde is a product of oxidation of arginine and proline, and aminoadipic semialdehyde, of oxidation of lysine. These two carbonyl-containing compounds are the main carbonyl products of metal-catalyzed oxidation of proteins, accounting for 55-100% of the total carbonyl value. Accordingly, they are quantitatively very important contributors to the total value of protein carbonyls in tissues as measured by the classic spectophotometric assay. Sensitive gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based analytical methods allow their quantitation in a variety of biological samples, including tissue protein, cell cultures and lipoproteins. These measurements provide specific information on the oxidative status of proteins that is complementary to that afforded by protein carbonyls, and will be useful tools in the ongoing effort to define and assess the role of protein oxidation in pathology and aging.