Iterative synthetic strategies and gene deletant experiments enable the first identification of polysulfides in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Abstract

Polysulfides, potential signalling molecules, were synthesised and then found and explored for the first time in yeast.

Sulfane Sulfur Compounds as Source of Reappearance of Reductive Off-Odors in Wine

“…The enzymatic genesis of polysulfanes in wine is also plausible, which has been argued by several authors [20,22]. Then, Pilkington and colleagues observed the presence of cysteinyl and glutathionyl polysulfanes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the first time [48]. Therefore, the increase of polysulfane concentrations in wine can be expected due to yeast autolysis, as was shown for dimethyl trisulfide (DMTS) (Me-S 3 -Me) [47].…”

“…Monosubstituted polysulfanes (R-S n -H) can be formed in wine as intermediates, but they are difficult to identify due to their high reactivity. Recently, Pilkington and colleagues developed synthetic methods to produce authentic samples of cysteinyl (Cys-S n -H) and glutathionyl hydropolysulfanes (G-S n -H) (n = 2-4), as well as disubstituted polysulfanes (Cys-S n -Cys) and (G-S n -G, n = 2-5), and the approaches of their analysis [48]. Monosubstituted polysulfanes (R-S n -H) can further react with various sulfhydryl compounds R ( ' ) -SH resulting in disubstituted polysulfanes (R-S n -R ( ) ).…”

“…The detection of polysulfanes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [48] gives rise to the suspicion that enzymes of sulfur metabolism could also act via persulfidation in their formation, as indicated in Figure 4. Indeed, the enzymes 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfur transferase (MST) and thiosulfate sulfurtransferase (TST, rhodanese), among others (Table 3), may perform this function.…”