Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is the most recently accepted endogenously produced gasotransmitter and is now implicated in a variety of physiological functions. In this tutorial review, our goal is to provide researchers new to the field of H2S chemical biology with practical considerations, pitfalls, and best practices to enable smooth entry into investigations focused on biological H2S. We present practical handling and safety considerations for working with this reactive biomolecule, and cover basic roles of H2S biogenesis and action. Experimental methods for modulating H2S levels, including enzymatic knockout, siRNA silencing, enzymatic inhibition, and use of small molecule H2S donors are highlighted. Complementing H2S modulation techniques, we also highlight current strategies for H2S detection and quantification.

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) is now recognized as an important biological molecule that plays diverse roles in various (patho)physiological conditions. Endogenous H 2 S, or its misregulation, has been associated with a variety of aspects of human health, including diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, inflammation, neurodegeneration, sepsis, and asthma. Motivated by the potential use of H 2 S-donating molecules as both investigative and therapeutic tools, researchers are developing new types of slow-releasing H 2 S donor molecules that mimic the slow, continuous H 2 S release characteristic of enzymatic production. In addition to synthetic H 2 S donors, many natural products contain functional groups well known to release sulfide. Here we provide an overview of natural products that contain such functional groups, with an emphasis on organic polysulfides, to highlight the diversity of these structures and also to outline possible areas of future research on pharmacologically relevant H 2 S donors derived from natural products. 1 Introduction 2 Polysulfide-Containing Natural Products 2.1 Linear Polysulfides 2.2 Cyclic Polysulfides 2.3 Epidithiodioxopiperazines 2.4 Enediyne-Containing Trisulfides 3 Leinamycin 4 Other Disulfides and Thiols Implicated in Hydrogen Sulfide Generation 5 Conclusions and Prospects

Decreased funding for middle and high school education has resulted in reduced classroom time, which, when coupled with an increased focus on standardized testing, has decreased the exposure of many middle school students to hands-on science education. To help address these challenges, we developed an integrated outreach program, spanning grades 6−12, designed to engage students by bringing students to the University of Oregon to perform hands-on laboratory experiments. Initially developed to supplement science education lost to state-mandated furlough days, the programmatic design can be applied readily in other contexts including afterschool, weekend, or summer programs. The outreach activities and scaffolding rely heavily on near-peer mentoring, which provides a visible pathway for younger students to envision themselves as future scientists while also providing mentoring and leadership opportunities for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. The use of near-peer mentoring is also critically important for the program's sustainability because it enables a more efficient allocation of graduate student and faculty time. In the first 2.5 years, over 450 middle school students have participated in the program and student feedback shows that students are engaged and excited about the outreach activities.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has emerged as a crucial biomolecule in physiology and cellular signaling. Key challenges associated with developing new chemical tools for understanding the biological roles of H2S include developing platforms that enable reversible binding of this important biomolecule. Here we report the first synthetic small molecule receptor for hydrosulfide anion, HS−, solely utilizing reversible, hydrogen-bonding interactions in a series of bis(ethynylaniline) derivatives. Binding constants up to 90,300 ± 8700 M−1 were obtained. The fundamental science of reversible sulfide binding—in this case featuring a key CH···S hydrogen bond—will expand the possibility for discovery of sulfide protein targets and molecular recognition agents.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has gained significant interest within the scientific community due to its expanding roles in different (patho)physiological processes. Despite this importance, the chemical mechanisms by which H2S exerts its action remain under-scrutinized. Biomimetic investigations in organic solution offer the potential to clarify these mechanisms and to delineate the differential reactivity between H2S and HS(-). However, such studies are hampered by the lack of readily-available sources of HS(-) that are soluble in organic solution. Here we present a simple method for preparing analytically pure tetrabutylammonium hydrosulfide (NBu4SH), which we anticipate will be of significant utility to researchers in the H2S and anion-binding communities.