Superoxide-responsive quinone methide precursors (QMP-SOs) to study superoxide biology by proximity labeling and chemoproteomics.

Superoxide is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) with complex roles in biological systems. It can contribute to the development of serious diseases, from aging to cancers and neurodegenerative disorders. However, it can also serve as a signaling molecule for important life processes.

N-Acryloylindole-alkyne (NAIA) enables imaging and profiling new ligandable cysteines and oxidized thiols by chemoproteomics.

Cysteine has been exploited as the binding site of covalent drugs. Its high sensitivity to oxidation is also important for regulating cellular processes. To identify new ligandable cysteines which can be hotspots for therapy and to better study cysteine oxidations, we develop cysteine-reactive probes, N-acryloylindole-alkynes (NAIAs), which have superior cysteine reactivity owing to delocalization of π electrons of the acrylamide warhead over the whole indole scaffold.