RADIOLYSIS OF PROTEINS

This paper reviews the principal features of the radiolytic degradatio n of proteins in aqueous solution. The reactions of water free radical s with aminoacids are well known. However, these processes can be modi fied in proteins and some selectivity may appear: it has been shown th at in proteins some amino-acids could be ''protected'' for unknown rea sons. It is interesting to attempt to correlate the reactivity toward water free radicals with, for instance, radiolytic inactivation of enz ymes. The results show that such a correlation exists very seldom, sho wing that most of the targets of radiolytic reactions are unimportant for the biological action of enzymes. This raises the question of the role of protein radiolysis in ionizing radiation damage and radiobiolo gy.