Generation of thiyl radicals in a spatiotemporal controlled manner by light: Applied for the cis to trans isomerization of unsaturated fatty acids/phospholipids.

Thiyl radicals are important reactive sulfur species and can cause cis to trans isomerization on unsaturated fatty acids. However, biocompatible strategies for the controlled generation of thiyl radicals are still lacking. In this work, we report the study of a series of naphthacyl-derived thioethers as photo-triggered thiyl radical precursors.

Understanding Polysulfide-Mediated Papain Inhibition and Differentiating between Disulfide vs Persulfide Formation.

Protein cysteine residues are sensitive to redox-regulating molecules, including reactive sulfur species (RSS). As an important member of the RSS family, polysulfides are known to react with protein cysteines to form persulfides and disulfides, both affecting protein functions. In this work, we studied how polysulfides could impact cysteine proteases through careful mechanistic and kinetic studies.

Thioglucose-derived tetrasulfide, a unique polysulfide model compound.

Polysulfides have received increased interest in redox biology due to their role as the precursors of HS and persulfides. However, the compounds that are suitable for biological investigations are limited to cysteine- and glutathione-derived polysulfides. In this work, we report the preparation and evaluation of a novel polysulfide derived from thioglucose, which represents the first carbohydrate-based polysulfide.

Recent development of polysulfides: Chemistry and biological applications.

Polysulfides (RSSSR, n ≥ 1) are a class of sulfane sulfur compounds that have gained significant recent attention due to their connections to hydrogen sulfide (HS) and hydropersulfides (RSSH), which are known to play important roles in redox signaling. While the potential regulatory functions of polysulfides in biological systems have been recognized for a long time, understanding their interactions with HS/RSSH have only recently begun. In this Mini Review, some of the most recent discoveries of polysulfides within biological contexts are summarized and these include their biological formation pathways, detection methods for animal and plant samples, properties, and unique functions.

Shining a light on SSP4: A comprehensive analysis and biological applications for the detection of sulfane sulfurs.

Fluorescent probes are useful tools for the detection of sulfane sulfurs in biological systems. In this work, we report the development of SSP4, a widely used probe generated in our laboratory. We describe its evolution, preparation, and physical/chemical properties.