Protein posttranslational modification

Proteins play central and essential roles in the vast majority of biological processes. Protein function is transduced through molecular interactions involving amino acid side chains. This chapter focuses on the protein modifications that occur due to reactive species generated during oxidative stress. It presents an overview of the modifications that can occur at each amino acid due to oxidative stress and a survey of the methods currently in use to detect oxidative stress‐related posttranslational modifications (PTMs). Among the array of methods that have been used to identify oxidative PTMs, mass spectrometry and chemoselective modifications have proven to be the most robust and specific tools for identifying these modifications within the proteome. A section provides an overview of the current state of both techniques, with more detailed descriptions. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the role of PTMs in cellular redox signaling.