Redox state of the cell (based on GSSG/2GSH couple)

Value -240 mV Range: -167 to -258 Table - link mV
Organism Mammalian tissue culture cell
Reference Schafer FQ, Buettner GR. Redox environment of the cell as viewed through the redox state of the glutathione disulfide/glutathione couple. Free Radic Biol Med. 2001 Jun 130(11):1191-212. abstract & p.1205 table 4PubMed ID11368918
Primary Source Cai, J. Y. Wallace, D. C. Zhivotovsky, B. Jones, D. P. Sepa- ration of cytochrome c-dependent caspase activation from thiol- disulfide redox change in cells lacking mitochondrial DNA. Free Radic. Biol. Med. 29: 334 –342 2000.PubMed ID11035262
Method (Primary source:) "In this study, [investigators] tested whether loss of the functional electron transport chain due to depleting mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) would affect this redox-signaling mechanism during apoptosis."
Comments "Changes of the half-cell reduction potential (E(hc)) of the GSSG/2GSH couple appear to correlate with the biological status of the cell: proliferation E(hc) approximately -240 mV..." The exact value depends on cell type and the state of proliferation/apoptosis. The value of -240 mV comes from the Jurkat cell line. See reference for more information and specific values for other cell lines. It is not possible to determine the actual redox potential of a cell, but only approximate it using the primary redox reactions which occur such as the GSSG/2GSH couple. Range extracted from table.
Entered by Phil Mongiovi
ID 101823