The comprehensive acid-base characterization of glutathione

Glutathione in its thiol (GSH) and disulfide (GSSG) forms, and 4 related compounds were studied by 1H NMR-pH titrations and a case-tailored evaluation method. The resulting acid-base properties are quantified in terms of 128 microscopic protonation constants; the first complete set of such parameters for this vitally important pair of compounds. The concomitant 12 interactivity parameters were also determined. Since biological redox systems are regularly compared to the GSH-GSSG pair, the eight microscopic thiolate basicities determined this way are exclusive means for assessing subtle redox parameters in a wide pH range. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.