Disulfiram generates a stable N,N-diethylcarbamoyl adduct on Cys-125 of rat hemoglobin beta-chains in vivo.

Disulfiram (DSF) is a drug used in aversion therapy to treat alcoholics and acts by inhibiting mitochondrial low-K(m) aldehyde dehydrogenase. Investigations into the mechanisms for in vivo inactivation suggest that the DSF metabolite S-methyl-N, N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfoxide reacts irreversibly with an active site Cys. This work aimed to determine if DSF generates monothiocarbamate adducts on cysteine residues in vivo by examining hemoglobin. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with DSF po for 2, 4, and 6 weeks. Rats have four different globin beta-chains, of which three (beta-1-3) contain two cysteine residues each. MALDI-TOF MS analysis of two new globin species from DSF-treated rats collected by HPLC revealed increments of 99 Da above the mass of the unmodified chains (beta-2 and beta-3). In a separate experiment, the globin mixture was digested for 2 h with Glu-C and reanalyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. Results showed a peptide at m/z 2716.3 having a mass 99 Da higher than a known Cys-containing peptide. Subsequently, the Glu-C digest was analyzed using Q-TOF tandem MS, enabling observation of the +4 charge state of the peptide with m/z 2716.3. This peptide was fragmented to produce y-sequence ions that located the modification to Cys-125 (present on both beta-2 and beta-3). Cys-125 is the most reactive of two cysteine residues on these beta-chains. To confirm the structure of the modification, globin was hydrolyzed with 6 N HCl at 110 degrees C for 18 h. The adduct survived these conditions so that S-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)cysteine was detected in the hydrolysates of treated rats on the basis of comparison with the tandem MS spectrum of a standard. These results extend the findings of others obtained using glutathione conjugates and demonstrate the ability of DSF to covalently modify Cys residues of proteins in a manner consistent with the production of S-methyl-N, N-diethylthiocarbamate sulfoxide, or sulfone, intermediates.