A Novel Pathway for the Production of Hydrogen Sulfide from D-cysteine in Mammalian Cells

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2013 Jan 24

PMID 23340406

Citations 232

Authors

Norihiro Shibuya

Shin Koike

Makiko Tanaka

Mari Ishigami-Yuasa

Yuka Kimura

Yuki Ogasawara

Kiyoshi Fukui

Noriyuki Nagahara

Hideo Kimura

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In eukaryotes, hydrogen sulphide acts as a signalling molecule and cytoprotectant. Hydrogen sulphide is known to be produced from L-cysteine by cystathionine β-synthase, cystathionine γ-lyase and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase coupled with cysteine aminotransferase. Here we report an additional biosynthetic pathway for the production of hydrogen sulphide from D-cysteine involving 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase and D-amino acid oxidase. Unlike the L-cysteine pathway, this D-cysteine-dependent pathway operates predominantly in the cerebellum and the kidney. Our study reveals that administration of D-cysteine protects primary cultures of cerebellar neurons from oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide and attenuates ischaemia-reperfusion injury in the kidney more than L-cysteine. This study presents a novel pathway of hydrogen sulphide production and provides a new therapeutic approach to deliver hydrogen sulphide to specific tissues.

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