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The conversion of H2S to sulfane sulfur

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology volume 13, page 803 (2012)Cite this article

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In a recently published Review article (H2S signalling through protein sulfhydration and beyond. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell Biol. 13, 499–507 (2012))1, Paul and Snyder use the term 'sulfhydration' to define a protein modification involving hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in which “the sulfhydryl group of a reactive Cys is modified to an -SSH group”. The implied reaction is:

There are two scientific problems with this presentation: the terminology does not follow the rules of chemical nomenclature; and the implied reaction cannot occur.

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References

  1. Paul, B. D. & Snyder, S. H. H2S signalling through protein sulfhydration and beyond. Nature Rev. Mol. Cell. Biol. 13, 499–507 (2012).

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  2. Toohey, J. I. Sulfur signaling: is the agent sulfide or sulfane? Anal. Biochem. 413, 1–7 (2011).

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  3. Kabile, O. & Banerjee, R. The redox biochemistry of hydrogen sulfide. J. Biol. Chem. 285, 21903–21907 (2010).

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  1. John I. Toohey is at Cytoregulation Research, Elgin, Ontario, Canada. cytoreg@hotmail.com,

    John I. Toohey

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  1. John I. Toohey
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IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology

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Toohey, J. The conversion of H2S to sulfane sulfur. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 13, 803 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3391-c1

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