Biological chemistry of hydrogen sulfide and persulfides.

Arch Biochem Biophys

Laboratorio de Enzimología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay; Center for Free Radical and Biomedical Research, Universidad de la República, Uruguay. Electronic address:

Published: March 2017

AI Article Synopsis

  • - Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is traditionally seen as toxic but can have beneficial physiological effects and is produced naturally in the body.
  • - HS can easily move across biological membranes and has chemical reactivity similar to thiols, though it forms different products; it interacts with oxidants and affects mitochondrial function.
  • - The reactions of HS with oxidized thiols create persulfides, which have increased nucleophilicity and unique chemical properties that may play a role in its biological effects.

Article Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) has been traditionally considered to be a toxic molecule for mammals. However, it can be formed endogenously and exert physiological effects with potential health benefits. HS can partition two-fold in biological membranes and traverse them rapidly, diffusing between compartments. HS reactivity has similarities to that of thiols, although it is less nucleophilic than thiols and it can form different products. HS can react with oxidants derived from the partial reduction of oxygen, but direct scavenging is unlikely to explain HS protective actions. Important effects are exerted on mitochondria including the stimulation or the inhibition of the electron transport chain. Possible mechanisms for unleashing biological consequences are the reactions with metal centers and with thiol oxidation products. The reactions of HS with disulfides (RSSR) and sulfenic acids (RSOH) lead to the formation of persulfides (RSSH). Persulfides have enhanced nucleophilicity with respect to the corresponding thiol, consistent with the alpha effect. Besides, the inner and outer sulfurs can both act as electrophiles. In this review, we describe the reactions of HS with oxidized thiol products and the properties of the persulfides formed in the context of the chemical biology of HS.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2016.09.018DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

hydrogen sulfide
8
biological chemistry
4
chemistry hydrogen
4
persulfides
4
sulfide persulfides
4
persulfides hydrogen
4
sulfide traditionally
4
traditionally considered
4
considered toxic
4
toxic molecule
4

Similar Publications

Metabolomics provide a promising tool for understanding dementia pathogenesis and identifying novel biomarkers. This study aimed to identify amino acid biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Vascular Dementia (VD). By amino acid metabolomics, the concentrations of amino acids were determined in the serum of AD and VD patients as well as age-matched healthy controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The ability to tolerate otherwise toxic compounds can open up unique niches in nature. Among drosophilid flies, few examples of such adaptations are known and those which are known are typically from highly host-specific species. Here we show that the human commensal species Drosophila busckii uses dimethyldisulfide (DMDS) as a key mediator in its host selection.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sulfides as environmental stressors in Paracas Bay, Peru.

Mar Pollut Bull

January 2025

Facultad de Pesquería, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Av. La Molina S/N, La Molina, Lima 15024, Peru.

Paracas Bay, located in the Humboldt Current system, is a highly variable coastal environment where hypoxia (dissolved oxygen concentrations <2 mg L) has been reported as a persistent feature of bottom conditions. In addition to hypoxia, milky water events have been reported in the bay, most likely associated with the presence of sulfides (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Tannin additions decrease the concentration of malodorous volatile sulfur compounds in wine-like model solutions and wine.

Food Chem

January 2025

Departamento de Horticultura, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad de Talca, 2 Norte 685, Talca, Chile.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS), methanethiol (MeSH) and ethanethiol (EtSH) are volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) produced during winemaking and are associated with negative 'reductive' aromas in wine. Anecdotal evidence suggests that oenological tannins may be used to remediate the 'reductive' character of wines, yet little scientific evidence or explanation supporting this observation has been published. In this study, it was found that the addition of oenological tannins significantly decreased HS, MeSH, and EtSH in model wine by up to 92 %, 90 % and 86 %, respectively, after two weeks of storage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coordination of inorganic disulfide species to ferric N-acetyl microperoxidase 11.

Biochem Biophys Res Commun

January 2025

Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química Física, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Química Física de los Materiales, Medio Ambiente y Energía (INQUIMAE), Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:

The interest in chemical interactions between inorganic sulfur species and heme compounds has grown significantly in recent years due to their physiological relevance. The model system ferric N-acetyl microperoxidase 11 (NAcMP11Fe) enables the exploration of the mechanistic aspects of the interaction between the ferric heme group and binding sulfur ligands, without the constraints imposed by a protein matrix and the stabilizing effects of distal amino acids. In this study, we investigated the coordination of disulfane (HSSH) and its conjugate base hydrodisulfide (HSS) to NAcMP11Fe.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!