Top down analysis of human MT2 modification by ajoen and allicine

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a widely used culinary ingredient of multiple cuisines. Once disintegrated garlic cloves release volatile sulfur compounds, the so-called garlic organosulfur compounds (GOSC). The most famous of these are allicin and ajoen, known for their antimicrobial properties. These compounds also readily modify human metallothionein proteins. In this study we aimed to identify the reactive sites of allicin and ajoen within the purified human metallothionein 2 (MT2). For this we employed an LC-MS protein top-down analysis.