Persulfide Biosynthesis Conserved Evolutionarily in All Organisms

SIGNIFICANCE: Persulfides/polysulfides are sulfur-catenated molecular species (i.e., R-S(n)-R′, n > 2; R-S(n)-H, n > 1, with R = cysteine, glutathione, and proteins), such as cysteine persulfide (CysSSH). These species are abundantly formed as endogenous metabolites in mammalian and human cells and tissues. However, the persulfide synthesis mechanism has yet to be thoroughly discussed. RECENT ADVANCES: We used β-(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethyl iodoacetamide and mass spectrometry to develop sulfur metabolomics, a highly precise, quantitative analytical method for sulfur metabolites. CRITICAL ISSUES: With this method, we detected appreciable amounts of different persulfide species in biological specimens from various organisms, from the domains Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. By using our rigorously quantitative approach, we identified cysteinyl-tRNA synthetase (CARS) as a novel persulfide synthase, and we found that the CysSSH synthase activity of CARS is highly conserved from the domains Bacteria to Eukarya. Because persulfide synthesis is found not only with CARS but also with other sulfotransferase enzymes in many organisms, persulfides/polysulfides are expected to contribute as fundamental elements to substantially diverse biological phenomena. In fact, persulfide generation in higher organisms—that is, plants and animals—demonstrated various physiological functions that are mediated by redox signaling, such as regulation of energy metabolism, infection, inflammation, and cell death, including ferroptosis. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Investigating CARS-dependent persulfide production may clarify various pathways of redox signaling in physiological and pathophysiological conditions and may thereby promote the development of preventive and therapeutic measures for oxidative stress as well as different inflammatory, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 39, 983–999.