Escherichia coli Uses Separate Enzymes to Produce H₂S and Reactive Sulfane Sulfur From L-cysteine.

ABSTRACT: Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) has been proposed to have various physiological functions, and it may function through reactive sulfane sulfur. Since the two sulfur forms often coexist, they are normally considered interchangeable. Here, we characterized the production of H₂S and reactive sulfane sulfur in Escherichia coli MG1655 and found that they are not readily interchangeable. They are primarily produced from L-cysteine via different enzymes. L-Cysteine desulfhydrases consumed L-cysteine and directly generated H₂S. The produced H₂S was mainly lost through evaporation into the gas phase, as E. coli does not have enzymes that easily oxidize H₂S to reactive sulfane sulfur. L-Cysteine desulfhydrases were also responsible for the

SUBMITTER: Li K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6401616 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature