Methionine, alpha-methylmethionine and S-methylcysteine radical cations: generations and dissociations in the gas phase

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2009 Sep 21;11(35):7629-39. doi: 10.1039/b905615g.

Abstract

Methionine, alpha-methylmethionine and S-methylcysteine radical cations have been formed by oxidative dissociations of [CuII(M)(CH3CN)2]*2+ complexes. The radical cations M*+ were trapped, and CID spectra (MS3) of these ions are presented. Fragmentations of the methionine and S-methylcysteine radical cations, initiated by migration of the alpha-carbon hydrogen atom to the sulfur, trigger the losses of water and thiomethanol from methionine and thiomethanol from S-methylcysteine. Deuterium labeling experiments show that considerable H-D scrambling and rearrangements involving N-H and S-H hydrogens occur in the methionine radical cation prior to fragmentation. An additional channel for S-methylcysteine is the loss of ammonia following beta-hydrogen migration. Methylation at the alpha-carbon of methionine results in a radical cation that fragments differently. Two neutral losses from alpha-methylmethionine, NH3 and methyl vinyl sulfide, CH2=CH-S-CH3, are initiated by gamma-hydrogen migration; a third channel is the loss of *COOH. DFT computations at the B3LYP/6-311+ +G(d,p) level have been used to test aspects of the proposed fragmentation mechanisms of the radical cations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cations / chemistry
  • Cysteine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Cysteine / chemistry
  • Gases / chemistry
  • Methionine / analogs & derivatives*
  • Methionine / chemistry
  • Models, Molecular

Substances

  • Cations
  • Gases
  • alpha-methylmethionine
  • S-methylcysteine
  • Methionine
  • Cysteine