Sulfite oxidase deficiency causes persulfidation loss and H₂S release

Abstract

Sulfite oxidase (SOX) deficiency is a rare inborn error of cysteine metabolism resulting in severe neurological damage. In patients, sulfite accumulates to toxic levels causing a raise in downstream products S-sulfocysteine (SSC), mediating excitotoxicity, and thiosulfate, a catabolic intermediate/product of H2S metabolism. Here, we report a full-body knock-out mouse model for SOX deficiency (SOXD) with a severely impaired phenotype. Amongst the urinary biomarkers, thiosulfate showed a 45-fold accumulation in SOXD mice representing the major excreted S-metabolite. Consistently, we found increased plasma H2S, which was derived from sulfite-induced release from persulfides as demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. Mass spectrometric analysis of total protein persulfidome identified a major loss of persulfidation in 20% of the proteome affecting enzymes in amino acids and fatty acid metabolism. Urinary amino acid profiles indicate metabolic rewiring suggesting partial reversal of the TCA cycle thus identifying a novel contribution of H2S metabolism and persulfidation in SOXD.