Hydrogen sulphide synthesis (version 2019.4) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database

Abstract

Hydrogen sulfide is a gasotransmitter, with similarities to nitric oxide and carbon monoxide. Although the enzymes indicated below have multiple enzymatic activities, the focus here is the generation of hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) and the enzymatic characteristics are described accordingly. Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) and cystathionine γ-lyase (CSE) are pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzymes. 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MPST) functions to generate H₂S; only CAT is PLP-dependent, while 3-MPST is not. Thus, this third pathway is sometimes referred to as PLP-independent. CBS and CSE are predominantly cytosolic enzymes, while 3-MPST is found both in the cytosol and the mitochondria. For an authoritative review on the pharmacological modulation of H₂S levels, see Szabo and Papapetropoulos, 2017 [4].