Reaction of thiyl radicals with alcohols, ethers and polyunsaturated fatty acids: a possible role of thiyl free radicals in thiol mutagenesis?

Possible reactions of thiyl free radicals in biological environment are reviewed. In particular hydrogen transfer processes from model C-H compounds like alcohols and ethers as well as from polyunsaturated fatty acids to thiyl radicals are described to proceed with reasonably high rate constants (10(3)-10(4) and 10(6)-10(7) M-1 s-1, respectively). Thiyl radicals have thus to be considered as potentially hazardous species especially with respect to DNA damage and lipid peroxidation.