N-->S phosphoryl migration in phosphoryl glutathion.

It was found that in the case of N-(diisopropylphosphoryl) glutathion (reduced form), 2, N-->S phosphoryl migration took place, but not for N,N-bis(diisopropylphosphoryl) glutathion (oxidized form) or N-diisopropylphosphoryl cysteine. These results were deduced by 31P-NMR tracing experiments. It was shown that phosphoryl migration was catalyzed by an intramolecular carboxyl group, and a mechanism involving a mixed carboxyl-phosphoric anhydride was proposed. A competitive reaction between the amino and thiol group toward diisopropyl phosphite indicated that the phospho-thiol derived from N-(diisopropylphosphoryl) glutathion (reduced form), 2, did not result from direct phosphorylation of the thiol group. N,S-Bis(diisopropylphosphoryl) glutathion provides an authentic sample to confirm the migrated phosphoryl thiol product.