A NEXAFS and mass spectrometry study of cysteine, cystine and insulin irradiated with intermediate energy (0.8Â keV) electrons

We have performed a NEXAFS (S 1s) and mass spectrometry study of solid samples of cysteine, cystine and insulin irradiated with 0.8 keV electrons. The measured mass spectra point out to processes of desulfurization, deamination, decarbonylation and decarboxylation in the irradiated biomolecules. Electron beam irradiation was also conducted at low temperatures in order to evaluate the possible contribution from thermal degradation processes. The NEXAFS spectra of irradiated cysteine and cystine did not show substantial changes when compared to the same spectra obtained using non-irradiated samples. The sulfur K-edge photoabsorption spectrum of irradiated insulin, however, showed clear modifications when compared to the spectrum of the non-irradiated protein, even when the irradiation was conducted at low temperature. Using an empirical combination of the photoabsorption spectra of cysteine and cystine (which are associated respectively with reduced and oxidized forms of sulfur) we have been able to reproduce the absorption spectrum of irradiated insulin.