Methylene blue photosensitized oxidation of hypotaurine in the presence of azide generates reactive nitrogen species: formation of nitrotyrosine

In our previous study on the hypotaurine (HTAU) oxidation by methylene blue (MB) photochemically generated singlet oxygen (1O2) we found that azide, usually used as 1O2 quencher, produced, instead, an evident enhancing effect on the oxidation rate [L. Pecci, M. Costa, G. Montefoschi, A. Antonucci, D. Cavallini, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 254 (1999) 661-665]. We show here that this effect is strongly dependent on pH, with a maximum at approximately pH 5.7. When the MB photochemical system containing HTAU and azide was performed in the presence of tyrosine, 3-nitrotyrosine was produced with maximum yield at pH 5.7, suggesting that azide, by the combined action of HTAU and singlet oxygen, generates nitrogen species which contribute to tyrosine nitration. In addition to HTAU, cysteine sulfinic acid, and sulfite were found to induce the formation of 3-nitrotyrosine. No detectable tyrosine nitration was observed using taurine, the oxidation product of HTAU, or thiol compounds such as cysteine and glutathione. It is shown that during the MB photooxidation of HTAU in the presence of azide, nitrite, and nitrate are produced. Evidences are presented, indicating that nitrite represents the nitrogen species involved in the production of 3-nitrotyrosine. A possible mechanism accounting for the enhancing effect of azide on the photochemical oxidation of HTAU and the production of nitrogen species is proposed.     

Superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and singlet oxygen in hematoporphyrin derivative-cysteine, -NADH and -light systems

Hematoporphyrin derivative and light in the presence of cysteine or glutathione were found to convert oxygen to superoxide and hydrogen peroxide at pH less than approx. 6.5, while at pH greater than 6.5 no superoxide or hydrogen peroxide production was observed. However, at pH values greater than 6.5 the rate of oxygen consumption increased. This rate paralleled the acid dissociation curve of the cysteine thiol group and is consistent with the chemical quenching of 1O2 by cysteine. The superoxide and hydrogen peroxide formation observed below pH 6.5 appeared not to be related to the singlet oxygen production of hematoporphyrin derivative. In addition, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide production was observed with hematoporphyrin derivative and light in the presence of NADH, both above and below pH 6.5. Direct detection of singlet oxygen luminescence at 1268 nm in the hematoporphyrin derivative-light system (2H2O as solvent) revealed an apparent linear increase in the singlet oxygen emission intensity as the p2H was raised from 7.0 to 10.0. Azide efficiently quenched this observed emission. In addition, at p2H 7.4, 1 mM cysteine resulted in a 40% reduction of the singlet oxygen luminescence, while at p2H 9.4 the signal was quenched by over 95% (under the experimental conditions employed). In total, we interpret these results as consistent with the chemical quenching of 1O2 by the ionized thiol group of cysteine.     

Hypochlorous acid oxygenates the cysteine switch domain of pro-matrilysin (MMP-7). A mechanism for matrix metalloproteinase activation and atherosclerotic plaque rupture by myeloperoxidase

Myeloperoxidase uses hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to generate hypochlorous acid (HOCl), a potent cytotoxic oxidant. We demonstrate that HOCl regulates the activity of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7, matrilysin) in vitro, suggesting that this oxidant activates MMPs in the artery wall. Indeed, both MMP-7 and myeloperoxidase were colocalized to lipid-laden macrophages in human atherosclerotic lesions. A highly conserved domain called the cysteine switch has been proposed to regulate MMP activity. When we exposed a synthetic peptide that mimicked the cysteine switch to HOCl, HPLC analysis showed that the thiol residue reacted rapidly, generating a near-quantitative yield of products. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis identified the products as sulfinic acid, sulfonic acid, and a dimer containing a disulfide bridge. In contrast, the peptide reacted slowly with H2O2, and the only product was the disulfide. Moreover, HOCl markedly activated pro-MMP-7, an MMP expressed at high levels in lipid-laden macrophages in vivo. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of trypsin digests revealed that the thiol residue of the enzyme's cysteine switch domain had been converted to sulfinic acid. Thiol oxidation was associated with autolytic cleavage of pro-MMP-7, strongly suggesting that oxygenation activates the latent enzyme. In contrast, H2O2 failed to oxidize the thiol residue of the protein or activate the enzyme. Thus, HOCl activates pro-MMP-7 by converting the thiol residue of the cysteine switch to sulfinic acid. This activation mechanism is distinct from the well-studied proteolytic cleavage of MMP pro-enzymes. Our observations raise the possibility that HOCl generated by myeloperoxidase contributes to MMP activation, and therefore to plaque rupture, in the artery wall. HOCl and other oxidants might regulate MMP activity by the same mechanism in a variety of inflammatory conditions.     

Molecular mechanism of the reduction of cysteine sulfinic acid of peroxiredoxin to cysteine by mammalian sulfiredoxin

Among many proteins with cysteine sulfinic acid (Cys-SO2H) residues, the sulfinic forms of certain peroxiredoxins (Prxs) are selectively reduced by sulfiredoxin (Srx) in the presence of ATP. All Srx enzymes contain a conserved cysteine residue. To elucidate the mechanism of the Srx-catalyzed reaction, we generated various mutants of Srx and examined their interaction with PrxI, their ATPase activity, and their ability to reduce sulfinic PrxI. Our results suggest that three surface-exposed amino acid residues, corresponding to Arg50, Asp57, and Asp79 of rat Srx, are critical for substrate recognition. The presence of the sulfinic form (but not the reduced form) of PrxI induces the conserved cysteine of Srx to take the gamma-phosphate of ATP and then immediately transfers the phosphate to the sulfinic moiety of PrxI to generate a sulfinic acid phosphoryl ester (Prx-Cys-S(=O)OPO3(2-)). This ester is reductively cleaved by a thiol molecule (RSH) such as GSH, thioredoxin, and dithiothreitol to produce a disulfide-S-monoxide (Prx-Cys-S(=O)-S-R). The disulfide-S-monoxide is further reduced through the oxidation of three thiol equivalents to complete the catalytic cycle and regenerate Prx-Cys-SH.     

The oxidation of bilayer dispersions of unsaturated phosphatidylcholines by decomposing potassium peroxychromate

The oxidation of aqueous dispersions of unsaturated phosphatidylcholines by products released during the decomposition of potassium peroxychromate has been investigated. The rate and extent of oxidation have been measured by loss of unsaturated fatty acids and related to the rate of decomposition of peroxychromate as monitored by pH titrimetry and chromate analysis. The loss of oleic and linoleic acid from egg lecithin dispersions was similar in systems containing between 0.062 and 2 g peroxychromate and was limited to less than 50% of the total unsaturated residues of the substrate. Studies of the rate of oxidation suggested that the mechanism of reaction involved the progressive oxidation of the substrate dependent on the continuous supply of relatively short-lived oxidising species. The use of azide as a singlet oxygen quencher and 2,5-dimethyl- and 2,5-diphenylfurans as singlet oxygen traps did not prevent oxidation of the phospholipid.     

18O]-labeled singlet oxygen as a tool for mechanistic studies of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine oxidative damage: detection of spiroiminodihydantoin,imidazolone and oxazolone derivatives

A water-soluble [18O]-labeled endoperoxide derived from N,N'-di(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-1,4-naphthalene-dipropanamide (DHPN18O2) has been shown to act as a clean chemical source of [18O]-labeled molecular singlet oxygen. This allows the assessment of the singlet oxygen (1O2) reactivity toward biological targets such as DNA. The present work focuses on the qualitative identification of the main 1O2-oxidation products of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, which was achieved using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-ESI-MS/MS). Thus, the [18O]-labeled and unlabeled imidazolone and oxazolone, together with the diastereoisomeric spiroiminodihydantoin nucleosides, were detected as the main degradation products. In addition, a modified nucleoside that exhibits similar features as those of the oxidized guanidinohydantoin molecule was detected. Our data strongly suggest that the imidazolone and oxazolone nucleosides are generated via the rearrangement of an unstable 5-hydroperoxide intermediate. Interestingly, the combined use of appropriate tools, including isotopically labeled singlet oxygen and the high- resolution HPLC-ESI-MS/MS technique, has allowed to shed new light on the 1O2-mediated oxidation reactions of guanine DNA components.     

Free radical metabolites of L-cysteine oxidation

The oxidation of L-cysteine by horseradish peroxidase in the presence of oxygen forms a thiyl free radical as demonstrated with the spin-trapping ESR technique. Reactions of this thiyl free radical result in oxygen consumption, which is inhibited by the spin trap 5,5'-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide. Cysteine sulfinic acid, a cysteine metabolite, is a poorer substrate for horseradish peroxidase than cysteine and is oxidized to form both sulfur-centered and carbon-centered free radicals.     

Disappearance of plasmalogens from membranes of animal cells subjected to photosensitized oxidation

Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) photosensitized with 12-(1'-pyrene)dodecanoic acid (P12) are killed when exposed to long wavelength ultraviolet (UV) light (greater than 300 nm). Mutants deficient in plasmalogen biosynthesis are hypersensitive to this treatment. We now demonstrate that plasmenylethanolamine is rapidly and preferentially destroyed when CHO-K1 cells, photosensitized either with P12 or merocyanine 540, are irradiated with light of the appropriate wavelength. Using [2-14C]ethanolamine, [1-14C]hexadecanol, or [U-14C]hexadecanol to follow the turnover of plasmenylethanolamine, we show that 2-monoacylglycerophosphoethanolamine, formic acid, and pentadecanal are formed during P12/UV treatment of CHO-K1 cells, but not of mutant cells deficient in plasmalogen synthesis. The decomposition of plasmenylethanolamine is O2-dependent, is enhanced in D2O, and is reduced in the presence of sodium azide. The process may be explained, in part, by the cycloaddition of singlet oxygen to the vinyl ether linkage of plasmenylethanolamine, generating a dioxetane intermediate that would be expected to decompose under physiological conditions to the observed products. An additional possibility is the formation of an allylic hydroperoxide at the 1'-carbon of the alkyl moiety by an "ene" reaction of singlet oxygen, or by radical-mediated oxidation, followed by metabolism or chemical decomposition of the hydroperoxide. Given the P12/UV hypersensitivity of plasmalogen-deficient mutants, we suggest that plasmalogens might protect animal cell membranes from singlet oxygen and/or radical-initiated oxidation by functioning as scavengers and decomposing to products that can be reutilized.     

Effect of single amino acid substitution on oxidative modifications of the Parkinson's disease-related protein, DJ-1

Mutations in the gene encoding DJ-1 have been identified in patients with familial Parkinson's disease (PD) and are thought to inactivate a neuroprotective function. Oxidation of the sulfhydryl group to a sulfinic acid on cysteine residue C106 of DJ-1 yields the "2O " form, a variant of the protein with enhanced neuroprotective function. We hypothesized that some familial mutations disrupt DJ-1 activity by interfering with conversion of the protein to the 2O form. To address this hypothesis, we developed a novel quantitative mass spectrometry approach to measure relative changes in oxidation at specific sites in mutant DJ-1 as compared with the wild-type protein. Treatment of recombinant wild-type DJ-1 with a 10-fold molar excess of H(2)O(2) resulted in a robust oxidation of C106 to the sulfinic acid, whereas this modification was not detected in a sample of the familial PD mutant M26I exposed to identical conditions. Methionine oxidized isoforms of wild-type DJ-1 were depleted, presumably as a result of misfolding and aggregation, under conditions that normally promote conversion of the protein to the 2O form. These data suggest that the M26I familial substitution and methionine oxidation characteristic of sporadic PD may disrupt DJ-1 function by disfavoring a site-specific modification required for optimal neuroprotective activity. Our findings indicate that a single amino acid substitution can markedly alter a protein's ability to undergo oxidative modification, and they imply that stimulating the conversion of DJ-1 to the 2O form may be therapeutically beneficial in familial or sporadic PD.     

Generation of reactive oxygen species upon strong visible light irradiation of isolated phycobilisomes from Synechocystis PCC 6803

The mechanism of photodegradation of antenna system in cyanobacteria was investigated using spin trapping ESR spectroscopy, SDS-PAGE and HPLC-MS. Exposure of isolated intact phycobilisomes to illumination with strong white light (3500 micromol m(-2) s(-1) photosynthetically active radiation) gave rise to the formation of free radicals, which subsequently led to specific protein degradation as a consequence of reactive oxygen species-induced cleavage of the polypeptide backbone. The use of specific scavengers demonstrated an initial formation of both singlet oxygen (1O2) and superoxide (O2(-)), most likely after direct reaction of molecular oxygen with the triplet state of phycobiliproteins, generated from intersystem crossing of the excited singlet state. In a second phase carbon-based radicals, detected through the appearance of DMPO-R adducts, were produced either via O2(-) or by direct 1O2 attack on amino acid moieties. Thus photo-induced degradation of intact phycobilisomes in cyanobacteria occurs through a complex process with two independent routes leading to protein damage: one involving superoxide and the other singlet oxygen. This is in contrast to the mechanism found in plants, where damage to the light-harvesting complex proteins has been shown to be mediated entirely by 1O2 generation.     

Differences between cysteine and homocysteine in the induction of deoxyribose degradation and DNA damage

The effect of two naturally occurring thiols, such as cysteine and homocysteine, has been examined for their ability to induce deoxyribose degradation and DNA damage. Copper(II) ions have been added to incubation mixtures and oxygen consumption measurements have been performed in order to correlate the observed damaging effects with the rate of metal catalyzed thiol oxidation. Ascorbic acid plus copper has been used as a positive control of deoxyribose and DNA oxidation due to reactive oxygen species. Cysteine or homocysteine in the presence of copper ions induce the degradation of deoxyribose and the yield of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), although important differences are observed between the two thiols tested, homocysteine being less reactive than cysteine. DNA cleavage is induced by cysteine in the presence of copper(II) ions but not by homocysteine. Catalase and thiourea, but not superoxide dismutase (SOD), were shown to inhibit the damaging effects of cysteine on deoxyribose or DNA suggesting that H(2)O(2) and *OH radicals are responsible for the observed induced damage. The results indicate that there are differences between the damaging effects of the two thiols tested towards deoxyribose and DNA damage. The pathophysiological importance will be discussed.     

Singlet oxygen formation by a peroxidase, H2O2 and halide system.

Evidence for singlet oxygen formation has been obtained for the lactoperoxidase, H2O2 and bromide system by monitoring 2,3-diphenylfuran and diphenylisobenzofuran oxidation, O2 evolution, and chemiluminescence. This could provide an explanation for the cytotoxic and microbicidal activity of peroxidases and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Evidence for singlet oxygen formation included the following. (a) Chemiluminescence accompanying the enzymic reaction was doubled in a deuterated buffer and inhibited by singlet oxygen traps. (b) The singlet oxygen traps, diphenylfuran and diphenylisobenzofuran, were oxidized to their known singlet oxygen oxidation products in the presence of lactoperoxidase, hydrogen peroxide and bromide. (c) The rate of oxidation of diphenylfuran and diphenylisobenzofuran was inhibited when monitored in the presence of known singlet oxygen traps or quenchers. (d) Oxygen evolution from the enzymic reaction was inhibited by singlet oxygen traps but not by singlet oxygen quenchers. (e) The traps or quenchers which were effective inhibitors in the experiments above did not inhibit peroxidase activity, were not competitive peroxidase substrates and did not react with the hypobromite intermediate since they did not inhibit hydrogen peroxide consumption by the enzyme. Using these criteria, various biological molecules were tested for their reactivity with singlet oxygen. Furthermore, by studying their effect on oxygen release by the enzymic reaction, it could be ascertained whether they were acting as singlet oxygen traps or quenchers.     

Sterol metabolism. XL. On the failure of superoxide radical anion to react with cholesterol.

Superoxide radical anion (O-2) failed to react with cholesterol under a variety of conditions. In some instances products indicative of free radical oxidation by molecular oxygen (O2) were found, but no products of electronically excited (singlet) molecular oxygen (1O2) attack on cholesterol were detected. These results do not support a direct role of O-2 in lipid peroxidation of cholesterol-rich membranes or of the formation of 1O2 from O-2 dismutation.     

The oxidation of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase-1 by hydrogen peroxide in vitro

Yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) plays an important role in the conversion of alcohols to aldehydes or ketones. YADH-1 is a zinc-containing protein, and it accounts for the major part of ADH activity in growing baker's yeast. To gain insight into how oxidative modification of the enzyme affects its function, we exposed YADH-1 to hydrogen peroxide in vitro and assessed the oxidized protein by LC-MS/MS analysis of proteolytic cleavage products of the protein and by measurements of enzymatic activity, zinc release, and thiol/thiolate loss. The results illustrated that Cys43 and Cys153, which reside at the active site of the protein, could be selectively oxidized to cysteine sulfinic acid (Cys-SO2H) and cysteine sulfonic acid (Cys-SO3H). In addition, H2O2 induced the formation of three disulfide bonds: Cys43-Cys153 in the catalytic domain, Cys103-Cys111 in the noncatalytic zinc center, and Cys276-Cys277. Therefore, our results support the notion that the oxidation of cysteine residues in the zinc-binding domain of proteins can go beyond the formation of disulfide bond(s); the formation of Cys-SO2H and Cys-SO3H is also possible. Furthermore, most methionines could be oxidized to methionine sulfoxides. Quantitative measurement results revealed that, among all the cysteine residues, Cys43 was the most susceptible to H2O2 oxidation, and the major oxidation products of this cysteine were Cys-SO2H and Cys-SO3H. The oxidation of Cys43 might be responsible for the inactivation of the enzyme upon H2O2 treatment.     

Aerobic photoreactivity of synthetic eumelanins and pheomelanins: generation of singlet oxygen and superoxide anion

In this work, we examined photoreactivity of synthetic eumelanins, formed by autooxidation of DOPA, or enzymatic oxidation of 5,6‐dihydroxyindole‐2‐carboxylic acid and synthetic pheomelanins obtained by enzymatic oxidation of 5‐S‐cysteinyldopa or 1:1 mixture of DOPA and cysteine. Electron paramagnetic resonance oximetry and spin trapping were used to measure oxygen consumption and formation of superoxide anion induced by irradiation of melanin with blue light, and time‐resolved near‐infrared luminescence was employed to determine the photoformation of singlet oxygen between 300 and 600 nm. Both superoxide anion and singlet oxygen were photogenerated by the synthetic melanins albeit with different efficiency. At 450‐nm, quantum yield of singlet oxygen was very low (~10^?4) but it strongly increased in the UV region. The melanins quenched singlet oxygen efficiently, indicating that photogeneration and quenching of singlet oxygen may play an important role in aerobic photochemistry of melanin pigments and could contribute to their photodegradation and photoaging.     

Photosensitized oxidation of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin: singlet oxygen does not contribute to the formation of fluorescent oxidation product 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein

2',7'-Dichlorofluorescin (DCFH) is often employed to assess oxidative stress in cells by monitoring the appearance of 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein (DCF), its highly fluorescent oxidation product. We have investigated the photosensitized oxidation of DCFH in solution and elucidated the role played by singlet molecular oxygen (1O(2)) in this reaction. We used rose bengal (RB), protoporphyrin, and DCF as photosensitizers. Irradiation (550 nm) of RB (20 microM) in 50 mM phosphate (pH 7.4) in the presence of DCFH (50 microM) resulted in the rapid formation of DCF, measured as an increase in its characteristic absorbance and fluorescence. The oxidation rate was faster in deoxygenated solution, did not increase in D(2)O, and even increased in the presence of sodium azide. The presence of antioxidants that react with 1O(2), thus removing oxygen, accelerated DCF formation. Such results eliminate any potential direct involvement of 1O(2) in DCF formation, even though DCFH is an efficient (physical) quencher of 1O(2) (k(q) = 1.4 x 10(8) M(-1)s(-1) in methanol). DCF is also a moderate photosensitizer of 1O(2) with a quantum yield of circa phi = 0.06 in D(2)O and phi = 0.08 in propylene carbonate, which unequivocally indicates that DCF can exist in a triplet state upon excitation with UV and visible light. This triplet can initiate photo-oxidization of DCFH via redox-and-radical mechanism(s) similar to those involving RB (vide supra). Our results show that, upon illumination, DCF can function as a moderate photosensitizer initiating DCFH oxidation, which may prime and accelerate the formation of DCF. We have also shown that, while 1O(2) does not contribute directly to DCF production, it can do so indirectly via reaction with cellular substrates yielding peroxy products and peroxyl radicals, which are able to oxidize DCFH in subsequent dark reactions. These findings suggest that DCFH should not be regarded as a probe sensitive to singlet molecular oxygen, and that care must be taken when using DCFH to measure oxidative stress in cells as a result of both visible and UV light exposure.     

Generation of a cysteine sulfinic acid analog for incorporation in peptides using solid phase peptide synthesis

The sulfinic acid analog of aspartic acid, cysteine sulfinic acid, introduces a sulfur atom that perturbs the acidity and oxidation properties of aspartic acid. Cysteine sulfinic acids are often introduced in peptides and proteins by oxidation of cysteine, but this method is limited as all cysteine residues are oxidized and cysteine residues are often oxidized to sulfonic acids. To provide the foundation for the specific incorporation of cysteine sulfinic acids in peptides and proteins, we synthesized a 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) benzothiazole sulfone analog. Oxidation conditions to generate the sulfone were examined and oxidation of the Fmoc-protected sulfide (3) with NbC in hydrogen peroxide provided the corresponding sulfone (4) in the highest yield and purity. Reduction with sodium borohydride generated the cysteine sulfinic acid (5) suggesting this approach may be an efficient method to incorporate a cysteine sulfinic acid in biomolecules. A model tripeptide bearing a cysteine sulfinic acid was synthesized using this approach. Future studies are aimed at using this method to incorporate cysteine sulfinic acids in peptide hormones and proteins for use in the study of biological function.     

Extracellular tyrosinase from the fungus Trichoderma reesei shows product inhibition and different inhibition mechanism from the intracellular tyrosinase from Agaricus bisporus

Tyrosinase (EC 1.14.18.1) is a widely distributed type 3 copper enzyme participating in essential biological functions. Tyrosinases are potential biotools as biosensors or protein crosslinkers. Understanding the reaction mechanism of tyrosinases is fundamental for developing tyrosinase-based applications. The reaction mechanisms of tyrosinases from Trichoderma reesei (TrT) and Agaricus bisporus (AbT) were analyzed using three diphenolic substrates: caffeic acid, L-DOPA (3,4-dihydroxy-l-phenylalanine), and catechol. With caffeic acid the oxidation rates of TrT and AbT were comparable; whereas with L-DOPA or catechol a fast decrease in the oxidation rates was observed in the TrT-catalyzed reactions only, suggesting end product inhibition of TrT. Dopachrome was the only reaction end product formed by TrT- or AbT-catalyzed oxidation of L-DOPA. We produced dopachrome by AbT-catalyzed oxidation of L-DOPA and analyzed the TrT end product (i.e. dopachrome) inhibition by oxygen consumption measurement. In the presence of 1.5mM dopachrome the oxygen consumption rate of TrT on 8mM L-DOPA was halved. The type of inhibition of potential inhibitors for TrT was studied using p-coumaric acid (monophenol) and caffeic acid (diphenol) as substrates. The strongest inhibitors were potassium cyanide for the TrT-monophenolase activity, and kojic acid for the TrT-diphenolase activity. The lag period related to the TrT-catalyzed oxidation of monophenol was prolonged by kojic acid, sodium azide and arbutin; contrary it was reduced by potassium cyanide. Furthermore, sodium azide slowed down the initial oxidation rate of TrT- and AbT-catalyzed oxidation of L-DOPA or catechol, but it also formed adducts with the reaction end products, i.e., dopachrome and o-benzoquinone.     

Singlet oxygen production from the peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid

The aerobic oxidation of indole-3-acetic acid catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase produces 1268 nm emission characteristic of singlet oxygen. Lactoperoxidase also oxidizes indole-3-acetic acid to produce singlet oxygen, but in contrast to horseradish peroxidase, this enzyme system requires hydrogen peroxide. In both of these systems, the intensity of the 1268 nm emission is small due to quenching of the singlet oxygen by indole-3-acetic acid and by reaction products derived from indole-3-acetic acid. The biomolecular reaction of peroxyl radicals via a Russell mechanism is a plausible mechanism for the singlet oxygen generation in these systems. Under typical conditions of p2H 4.0, 1 microM horseradish peroxidase, 1 mM indole-3-acetic acid, and 240 microM oxygen, the singlet oxygen yield was 15 +/- 1 microM or 13% of the amount predicted by the Russell mechanism.