Generation and propagation of radical reactions on proteins

The oxidation of proteins by free radicals is thought to play a major role in many oxidative processes within cells and is implicated in a number of h uman diseases as well as ageing. This review summarises information on the formation of radicals on peptides and proteins and how radical damage may b e propagated and transferred within protein structures. The emphasis of thi s article is primarily on the deleterious actions of radicals generated on proteins, and their mechanisms of action, rather than on enzymatic systems where radicals are deliberately formed as transient intermediates. The fina l section of this review examines the control of protein oxidation and how such damage might be limited by antioxidants. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V . All rights reserved.