Abstract:
Thiol groups are extensively present across biological systems being found in range of small molecules (e.g.
Glutathione, Homo-cysteine) and proteins (e.g. albumin, haemo-globin). Albumin is considered to be a major thiol containing protein present in circulating Plasma. Albumin contains a single thiolate group located at cysteine-34(cys-34) at its active site. Albumin also binds a wide variety of metals and metals complexes at various sites around the protein. Usually heavy metals are preferentially attached with the thiol group of albumin. The binding of heavy metals at cys-34 provides a mechanism by which the residence time of potentially toxic species in the body can be increased. In this research we have assessed the oxidative modification of and metal binding capacity of cys-34 with heavy metals Palladium and Vanadium to investigate the ease with which it is possible to effect disulfide-thiol exchange at this sites/or remove a metal bound at this position. Both the metals were treated with albumin and then the albumin metals (Pd and V) complexes were treated with small thoil molecules like Glutathione, Cysteine and D-Penicillamine. Our finding showed that the albumin thiol group retained the metals with itself by forming some strong bonding with the Thiols group, it is concluded from this finding that if by chance both the metals enter the living system; strongly disturb the
chemistry and physiological function of this bio-molecule.
