Fig. 1
From: Sulfide regulation and catabolism in health and disease
Timeline of major advancements in the study of sulfur-containing biomolecules produced by metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids. In 1810, Wollaston identified cystine; in 1899-1900, Morner and Embden isolated cystine, showing cysteine’s interconvertibility; in 1922, Mueller isolated methionine; in the 1930s, methionine was recognized as essential for protein synthesis; in 1932, Du Vigneaud identified homocysteine; in 1953, Cantoni described SAM formation and Baddiley and Jamieson discovered SAH; and in the 1960s, methionine metabolism pathways were further elucidated. H2S, first observed by Ulysse Gayon in 1877 from bacteria in spoiled eggs, was linked to sulfur amino acid metabolism. In the 1930s and 1940s, Du Vigneaud discovered the transsulfuration pathway. By the 1960s and 1970s, enzymes like CBS, CSE, and 3-MST were identified. In the 1980s, sulfides were found in deep-sea vents. By the early 1990s, H2S production in mammals was known, with its biological effects explored later
