Redox process is crucial for inhibitory properties of aurintricarboxylic acid against activity of YopH: virulence factor of Yersinia pestis

Kuban-Jankowska, Alicja; Sahu, Kamlesh K; Niedzialkowski, Pawel; Gorska, Magdalena; Tuszynski, Jack A; Ossowski, Tadeusz; Wozniak, Michal

In aprotic solvents, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) electrochemically generated superoxide anions (O 2 -) are solvated far less efficiently than in water [24] . This provides an opportunity to study the interactions between the reactive oxygen species and organic compounds and also to examine if organic compounds react either with an inert form of oxygen or its reduced forms. The cyclic voltammetry for generation and detection of superoxide anions by the electrochemical reduction of molecular oxygen is very useful and easy to follow the reaction of superoxide anions with bioactive compounds at the electrode surface [25] . The obtained results indicate that ATA directly reacts with oxygen and reactive oxygen forms in DMSO solution. Additionally, the electrochemical reduction of ATA negative reduction potential (-2.0 to 2.5 V) generates a current signal, which has been observed for hydrogen peroxide.