Question

If the cytoplasm of a cell were to become a much more oxidizing environment, what do you predict would happen to an existing surface-exposed disulfide bond in a typical cytoplasmic protein?

Answer 1

The dispulfide bond formation shows the covalent interaction between the molecules. The disulifide bonds is formed between the cysteine residues of the amino acids.

The formation of the disulfide bonds requires the oxidizing environment especially in the endoplasmic reticulum. The exposure of disulfide bonds in the cytosol in the oxidizing environment, this do not change the sulfide bond formation. The thiolate groups are more formed by the further oxidation of thiol groups and do not change the structure.