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Iodoacetic acid
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<p>Iodoacetic acid is an <a href="/facts/Organic_compound/gqCNaN45">organic compound</a> with the <a href="/facts/Chemical_formula/hghUtthl">chemical formula</a> <a href="/facts/Iodine/JlfMecMf">I</a><a href="/facts/Carbon/ukrgQexo">C</a><a href="/facts/Hydrogen/BoYHjl0J">H</a>2C<a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">O</a>2H. It is a derivative of <a href="/facts/Acetic_acid/uyBKA2Pd">acetic acid</a>. It is a toxic compound, because, like many <a href="/facts/Alkyl_halide/Enb7LQqt">alkyl halides</a>, it is an <a href="/facts/Alkylating_agent/1rd5SNbt">alkylating agent</a>. </p><p>It reacts with <a href="/facts/Cysteine/kbqvUm6d">cysteine</a> residues in <a href="/facts/Proteins/Jxmagu3E">proteins</a>. It is often used to modify <a href="/facts/Thiol/VemKEDP9">−SH groups</a> to prevent the re-formation of <a href="/facts/Disulfide_bond/eDx5Xtlg">disulfide bonds</a> after the reduction of <a href="/facts/Cystine/MmwEHkkI">cystine</a> residues to cysteine during <a href="/facts/Protein_sequencing/omyaIMx1">protein sequencing</a>. </p><p>In 1929, Dr. <a href="/facts/Einar_Lundsgaard/V6f70Ezf">Einar Lundsgaard</a> (1899-1968) discovered that <a href="/facts/Muscle/dmxrL8pH">muscle</a> <a href="/facts/Poisoned/PTXdHz5q">poisoned</a> <a href="/facts/In_vitro/evp3hAX6">in vitro</a> with iodoacetic acid is unable to produce <a href="/facts/Lactic_acid/BsVRFx7s">lactate</a> as <a href="/facts/Glycolysis/a5ApxLoG">glycolysis</a> from muscle <a href="/facts/Glycogen/kWa8fPFE">glycogen</a> is blocked, causing the muscle to result in an electrically silent contracture. It was remembering this discovery, that lead <a href="/facts/Brian_McArdle/YopDqbNh">Dr. Brian McArdle</a> in 1951, to speculate that one of his patients that had electromyographically silent muscle contractures brought on by high-intensity aerobic activity and anaerobic activity must have a defective muscle glycogen mechanism. </p>