Disulfide bond cleavage: A redox reaction without electron transfer

摘要

By using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) simulations we have simulated a mechanically induced redox reaction. Previous single-molecule atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments demonstrated that the reduction of disulfide bonds in proteins with the weak reducing agent dithiothreitol depends on a mechanical destabilization of the breaking bond. With reactive molecular dynamics simulations the single steps of the reaction mechanism can be elucidated and the motion of the electrons can be monitored. The simulations show that the redox reaction consists of the heterolytic cleavage of the S-S bond followed by a sequence of proton transfers.