Detection of protein oxidation in rat-1 fibroblasts by fluorescently labeled tyramine

Oxidative damage to proteins has been postulated as a major cause of various degenerative diseases including the loss of functional capacity during aging. A prominent target for oxidation by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the tyrosine residue. Here we present a highly sensitive method for the detection of tyrosyl radical formation in cells. The method is based on the fluorescein-labeled tyrosine analogue, tyramine, which upon oxidation may couple to proteins carrying a tyrosyl radical. Coupling of the probe (denoted TyrFluo) to standard proteins could be induced by generating ROS with horseradish peroxidase/hydrogen peroxide, SIN-1 or with peroxides (cumene or hydrogen peroxide) in combination with a transition metal. TyrFluo added to rat-1 fibroblasts remained outside the cell, whereas the acetylated form (acetylTyrFluo) was membrane-permeable and accumulated in the cell. Exposure of the cells to oxidative stress in the presence of either TyrFluo or acetylTyrFluo gave a cellular labeling characteristic for each probe. Western blot analysis confirmed that each probe labeled a specific set of proteins. This new method for the detection of ROS-induced oxidation of proteins may mimic the tendency of oxidized proteins to form dityrosine bonds.