O-sulfonation of serine and threonine: mass spectrometric detection and characterization of a new posttranslational modification in diverse proteins throughout the eukaryotes.

Protein sulfonation on serine and threonine residues is described for the first time. This post-translational modification is shown to occur in proteins isolated from organisms representing a broad span of eukaryote evolution, including the invertebrate mollusk Lymnaea stagnalis, the unicellular malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, and humans. Detection and structural characterization of this novel post-translational modification was carried out using liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray tandem mass spectrometry on proteins including a neuronal intermediate filament and a myosin light chain from the snail, a cathepsin-C-like enzyme from the parasite, and the cytoplasmic domain of the human orphan receptor tyrosine kinase Ror-2. These findings suggest that sulfonation of serine and threonine may be involved in multiple functions including protein assembly and signal transduction.