Simplified LC/MS assay for the measurement of isolevuglandin protein adducts in plasma and tissue samples.

Isolevuglandins (IsoLGs) are a family of highly reactive 4-ketoaldehydes formed by lipid peroxidation that modify the lysyl residues of cellular proteins. Modification of proteins by IsoLGs have been shown to contribute to disease processes such as the development of hypertension. Accurate quantitation of the extent of protein modification by IsoLGs is essential for understanding the mechanisms whereby these modifications contribute to disease and the efficacy of interventions designed to prevent this modification.

Scavengers of reactive γ-ketoaldehydes extend Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan and healthspan through protein-level interactions with SIR-2.1 and ETS-7.

Isoketals (IsoKs) are highly reactive γ-ketoaldehyde products of lipid peroxidation that covalently adduct lysine side chains in proteins, impairing their function. Using C. elegans as a model organism, we sought to test the hypothesis that IsoKs contribute to molecular aging through adduction and inactivation of specific protein targets, and that this process can be abrogated using salicylamine (SA), a selective IsoK scavenger.

Accumulation of isolevuglandin-modified protein in normal and fibrotic lung.

Protein lysine modification by γ-ketoaldehyde isomers derived from arachidonic acid, termed isolevuglandins (IsoLGs), is emerging as a mechanistic link between pathogenic reactive oxygen species and disease progression. However, the questions of whether covalent modification of proteins by IsoLGs are subject to genetic regulation and the identity of IsoLG-modified proteins remain unclear. Herein we show that Nrf2 and Nox2 are key regulators of IsoLG modification in pulmonary tissue and report on the identity of proteins analyzed by LC-MS following immunoaffinity purification of IsoLG-modified proteins.

Cardiolipin fatty acid remodeling regulates mitochondrial function by modifying the electron entry point in the respiratory chain.

Modifications of cardiolipin (CL) levels or compositions are associated with changes in mitochondrial function in a wide range of pathologies. We have made the discovery that acetaminophen remodels CL fatty acids composition from tetralinoleoyl to linoleoyltrioleoyl-CL, a remodeling that is associated with decreased mitochondrial respiration. Our data show that CL remodeling causes a shift in electron entry from complex II to the β-oxidation electron transfer flavoprotein quinone oxidoreductase (ETF/QOR) pathway.

Measurement of F2- isoprostanes and isofurans using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

F2-Isoprostanes (IsoPs) are isomers of prostaglandin F2α formed from the nonenzymatic free radical-catalyzed peroxidation of arachidonic acid. Since discovery of these molecules by Morrow and Roberts in 1990, F2-IsoPs have been shown to be excellent biomarkers as well as potent mediators of oxidative stress in vivo in humans. Isofurans (IsoFs) are also oxidation products generated from the nonenzymatic oxidation of arachidonic acid.