Enzymatic and nonenzymatic ADP-ribosylation of cysteine

Mono-ADP-ribosylation is a protein modification that occurs at a number of different amino acids, dictated by the specificity of the individual ADP-ribosyltransferases. A specific cysteine in several guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory proteins is ADP-ribosylated by the bacterial protein pertussis toxin. Recent purification of an ADP-ribosylcysteine hydrolase and NAD:cysteine ADP-ribosyltransferase, and detection of ADP-ribose-cysteine linkages in tissue samples has raised hope that an endogenous regulatory cysteine-specific ADP-ribosylation pathway exists. A current goal is the identification of such a pathway for ADP-ribosylation of cysteine within animal cells. Interpretation of the data in this field has been complicated by recent reports that revealed several unforeseen chemical reactions of NAD and its metabolites with free cysteine and cysteine in proteins. This mini-review covers the latest understanding of the ADP-ribosylation reactions associated with cysteine, and provides a set of criteria for future research to establish positively the existence of an endogenous cysteine-specific mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase.