Search

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) exerts synergistic effects with another gaseous signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO) on ion channels and vasculature. However, the mechanism of the synergy is not well understood. Here, we show that the interaction between H 2 S and NO generates polysulfides (H 2 S n ), which activate transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channels. High performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis, along with the imaging of intracellular Ca 2+ and H 2 S n , showed that H 2 S n and their effects were abolished by cyanolysis and by reducing substances such as dithiothreitol (DTT), cysteine, and glutathione (GSH). However, the effects of nitroxyl or nitrosopersulfide, other potential products of H 2 S and NO interaction, are not affected by cyanolysis or reducing substances. This study demonstrates that H 2 S n are products of synergy between H 2 S and NO and provides a new insight into the signaling mechanisms.

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is a physiological mediator with various roles, including neuro-modulation, vascular tone regulation, and cytoprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury, angiogenesis, and oxygen sensing. Hydrogen polysulfide (H 2 S n ), which possesses a higher number of sulfur atoms than H 2 S, recently emerged as a potential signaling molecule that regulates the activity of ion channels, a tumor suppressor, transcription factors, and protein kinases. Some of the previously reported effects of H 2 S are now attributed to the more potent H 2 S n . H 2 S n is produced by 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) from 3-mercaptopyruvate (3MP) and is generated by the chemical interaction of H 2 S with nitric oxide (NO). H 2 S n sulfhydrates (sulfurates) cysteine residues of target proteins and modifies their activity, whereas H 2 S sulfurates oxidized cysteine residues as well as reduces cysteine disulfide bonds. This review focuses on the recent progress made in studies concerning the production and physiological roles of H 2 S n and H 2 S.

About 20 years ago, a pungent gas was found to be the physiological mediator of cognitive function and vascular tone. Since then, studies on hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have uncovered its numerous physiological roles such as protecting various tissues/organs from ischemia and regulating inflammation, cell growth, oxygen sensing, and senescence. These effects of H2S were extensively studied, and some of the corresponding mechanisms were also studied in detail. Previous studies on the synergistic interaction between H2S and nitric oxide (NO) have led to the discovery of several potential signaling molecules. Polysulfides are considerably potent and are one of the most active forms of H2S. H2S has a significant therapeutic potential, which is evident from the large number of novel H2S-donating compounds and substances developed for manipulating endogenous levels of H2S. The Third International Conference on H2S was held in Kyoto in June 2014. One hundred and sixty participants from 21 countries convened in Kyoto to report new advances, discuss conflicting findings, and make plans for future research. This article summarizes each oral presentation presented at the conference., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Physiologically, angiogenesis is tightly regulated, or otherwise it leads to pathological processes, such as tumors, inflammatory diseases, gynecological diseases and diabetic retinopathy. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent and critical inducer of angiogenesis. The VEGF gene expression is regulated by a variety of stimuli. Hypoxia is one of the most potent inducers of the VEGF expression. The hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) plays as a key transcription factor in hypoxia-mediated VEGF gene upregulation. Nitric oxide (NO) as well as hypoxia is reported to upregulate the VEGF gene by enhancing HIF-1 activity. The Akt/protein kinase B (PKB) pathway may be involved in NO-mediated HIF-1 activation in limited cell lines. There are some reports of negative effects of NO on HIF-1 and VEGF activity. These conflicting data of NO effects may be attributed mainly to the amount of released NO. Indeed, NO can be a positive or negative modulator of the VEGF gene under the same conditions simply by changing its amounts. The VEGF-mediated angiogenesis requires NO production from activated endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). Activation of eNOS by VEGF involves several pathways including Akt/PKB, Ca(2+)/calmodulin, and protein kinase C. The NO-mediated VEGF expression can be regulated by HIF-1 and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) activity, and the VEGF-mediated NO production by eNOS can be also modulated by HIF-1 and HO-1 activity, depending upon the amount of produced NO. These reciprocal relations between NO and VEGF may contribute to regulated angiogenesis in normal tissues.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been reported to modulate the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene by accumulating hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) protein, but there is a contradiction among effects of various NO donors. The effects of NO donors including S-nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP), S-nitroso-glutathione (GSNO), 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-3,3-bis(2-aminoethyl)-1-triazene (NOC18), 3-[(+/-)-(E)-ethyl-2(')-[(E)-hydroxyimino]-5-nitro-3-hexenecarbamoyl]-pyridine (NOR4), 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), and nitroprusside (SNP) on the VEGF reporter gene were examined. SNAP, GSNO, NOC18, and NOR4 enhanced the VEGF reporter activity under normoxia and modulated the hypoxic induction. In contrast, SNP had only an inhibitory effect. An NO scavenger attenuated the reporter activation by NO donors except NOR4, but did not ameliorate the inhibitory effect of SNP. A reducing compound dithiothreitol suppressed NO-induced activation of the VEGF reporter gene. SNAP, GSNO, and NOC18 induced the accumulation of HIF-1alpha protein, while others did not. These results suggest that SNAP, GSNO, and NOC compounds are suitable for pharmacological studies in HIF-1-mediated VEGF gene activation by NO.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) together with polysulfides (H2Sn, n > 2) are signalling molecules like NO with various physiological roles including regulation of neuronal transmission, vascular tone, inflammation and oxygen sensing. H2S and H2Sn diffuse to the target proteins for S‐sulfurating their cysteine residues that induces the conformational changes to alter the activity. On the other hand, 3‐mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase transfers sulfur from a substrate 3‐mercaptopyruvate to the cysteine residues of acceptor proteins. A similar mechanism has also been identified in S‐nitrosylation. S‐sulfuration and S‐nitrosylation by enzymes proceed only inside the cell, while reactions induced by H2S, H2Sn and NO even extend to the surrounding cells. Disturbance of signalling by these molecules as well as S‐sulfuration and S‐nitrosylation causes many nervous system diseases. This review focuses on the signalling by H2S and H2Sn with S‐sulfuration comparing to that of NO with S‐nitrosylation and discusses on their roles in physiology and pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a physiological mediator with various roles, including neuro-modulation, vascular tone regulation, and cytoprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury, angiogenesis, and oxygen sensing. Hydrogen polysulfide (HS), which possesses a higher number of sulfur atoms than HS, recently emerged as a potential signaling molecule that regulates the activity of ion channels, a tumor suppressor, transcription factors, and protein kinases. Some of the previously reported effects of HS are now attributed to the more potent HS. HS is produced by 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) from 3-mercaptopyruvate (3MP) and is generated by the chemical interaction of HS with nitric oxide (NO). HS sulfhydrates (sulfurates) cysteine residues of target proteins and modifies their activity, whereas HS sulfurates oxidized cysteine residues as well as reduces cysteine disulfide bonds. This review focuses on the recent progress made in studies concerning the production and physiological roles of HS and HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been demonstrated to have physiological roles such as neuromodulation, vascular tone regulation, cytoprotection, oxygen sensing, inflammatory regulation, and cell growth. Recently, hydrogen polysulfides (H2Sn) have been found to be produced by 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase and to regulate the activity of ion channels, tumor suppressers, and protein kinases. Furthermore, some of the effects previously reported to be mediated by H2S are now ascribed to H2Sn. Cysteine persulfide and cysteine polysulfide may also be involved in cellular redox regulation. The chemical interaction between H2S and nitric oxide (NO) can also produce H2Sn, nitroxyl, and nitrosopersulfide, suggesting their involvement in the reactions previously thought to be mediated by NO alone. This Forum focuses on and critically discusses the recent progress in the study of H2Sn, H2S, and NO as well as other per- or polysulfide species. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 00, 000-000. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first description of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a toxic gas in 1713 by Bernardino Ramazzini, most studies on H2S have concentrated on its toxicity. In 1989, Warenycia et al. demonstrated the existence of endogenous H2S in the brain, suggesting that H2S may have physiological roles. In 1996, we demonstrated that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a potential signaling molecule, which can be produced by cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) to modify neurotransmission in the brain. Subsequently, we showed that H2S relaxes vascular smooth muscle in synergy with nitric oxide (NO) and that cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) is another producing enzyme. This study also opened up a new research area of a crosstalk between H2S and NO. The cytoprotective effect, anti-inflammatory activity, energy formation, and oxygen sensing by H2S have been subsequently demonstrated. Two additional pathways for the production of H2S with 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3MST) from l- and d-cysteine have been identified. We also discovered that hydrogen polysulfides (H2Sn, n ≥ 2) are potential signaling molecules produced by 3MST. H2Sn regulate the activity of ion channels and enzymes, as well as even the growth of tumors. S-Sulfuration (S-sulfhydration) proposed by Snyder is the main mechanism for H2S/H2Sn underlying regulation of the activity of target proteins. This mini review focuses on the key findings on H2S/H2Sn signaling during the first 25 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has recently been identified as a biological response modifier. Here, we report the design and synthesis of a novel fluorescence probe for H2S, HSip-1, utilizing azamacrocycic copper(II) ion complex chemistry to control the fluorescence. HSip-1 showed high selectivity and high sensitivity for H2S, and its potential for biological applications was confirmed by employing it for fluorescence imaging of H2S in live cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence shows that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has a variety of physiological functions. H2S is produced from cysteine by 3 sulfurtransferases. H2S, in turn, generates polysulfides, the functions of which are not well understood. H2S induces Ca2+ influx in astrocytes, a type of glia. However, the receptor that mediates the response has not been identified. Here, we have shown that polysulfides induce Ca2+ influx by activating transient receptor potential (TRP) A1 channels in rat astrocytes (EC50 91nM, Hill coefficient value 1.77±0.26) and that the maximum response was induced at 0.5microM, which is 1/320 of the concentration of H2S required to achieve a response of similar magnitude (160 microM, EC50 116microM). TRPA1-selective agonists, allyl isothiocyanate and cinnamaldehyde, induced Ca2+ influx, and responses to polysulfides were suppressed by TRPA1-selective inhibitors, HC-030031 and AP-18, as well as by siRNAs selective to TRPA1. The present study suggests that polysulfides are possible H2S -derived signaling molecules that stimulate TRP channels in the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]