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Medical Definition of Disulfide bond
1. A single bond between two sulfurs; specifically, the -S-S- link binding two peptide chains (or different parts of one peptide chain); also occurs as part of the molecule of the amino acid, cystine, and is important as a structural determinant in many protein molecules, notably keratin, insulin, and oxytocin. A symmetric disulfide is R-S-S-R; R'-S-S-R is a mixed disulfide. (05 Mar 2000)