γ-Radiolysis of a mixed disulfide, cysteine-cysteamine disulfide, in unbuffered aqueous solution (0.3 mM) was investigated in the presence and absence of oxygen. The principal products were the thiols (cysteine and cysteamine), the corresponding sulfinic and sulfonic acids, the symmetrical disulfides (cystine and cystamine) and ammonia. Cystine and cystamine were formed in very high yields in deaerated solution; (G(CySSCy) ~ 15) but addition of oxygen reduced the yield sharply and it was inversely proportional to the oxygen concentration except at very low oxygen levels. In aerated solution G(CySSCy) = 0.8. These observations were attributed to a chain reaction which was suppressed by oxygen:[Formula: see text]In the case of proteins, it was concluded that although chain reactions between RS• radicals and protein disulfide bonds were possible, they should be inhibited by oxygen.