Detecting Protein Sulfenylation in Cells Exposed to a Toxicant

Abstract

Protein sulfenylation is a post-translational modification that is linked to many cell signaling networks and specific protein functions, thus the detection of any sulfenylated protein after a toxicological exposure is of importance. Specifically, the detection of protein sulfenylation can provide multiple levels of mechanistic insight towards understanding the impact of a toxicological exposure. For instance, sulfenylation is caused by only a handful of reactive chemical species. Any altered sulfenylation suggests a change in cellular health, and the elucidation of the specific protein target that undergoes sulfenylation can help ascertain downstream targets and associated adverse outcomes. This document describes straightforward approaches to detect protein sulfenylation of total protein as well as individual proteins of interest with a focus on immunoblotting approaches. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.