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Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Synthesizing Amino Acids Modified with Reactive Carbonyls in Silico to Assess Structural Effects Using Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Published on: April 26, 2024
Method for monitoring of the protein amino group changes during carbonylation
Jelena M Aćimović1, Vesna B Jovanović, Milica R Veselinović
1Faculty of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, Belgrade, Serbia.
Objectives:
Carbonylation of the protein amino, guanidino and thiol groups is one of the important causes of vascular complications in diabetes. We developed a simple spectrophotometric method for monitoring of the changes in the protein amino group contents during carbonylation.
Design And Methods:
The method is based on the reaction of amino group with p-benzoquinone in the slightly alkaline media. It was applied during carbonylation in vitro with methylglyoxal and in vivo in 13 patients with type 2 diabetes and 20 healthy persons.
Results:
The method is simple, fast, precise (RSD in the range of 1.2-1.8%) and accurate (recovery about 100%). The content of amino groups in human serum albumin isolated from diabetics was significantly lower (p<0.01) in comparison with a control group.
Conclusion:
The method developed is suitable for quantification of protein amino groups during in vitro carbonylation as well as for clinical practice.
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