Open AccessEnzymatic activation of sulfur for incorporation into biomolecules in prokaryotes
Author(s) -
Kessler Dorothea
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
fems microbiology reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.91
H-Index - 212
eISSN - 1574-6976
pISSN - 0168-6445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2006.00036.x
Subject(s) - sulfur , sulfur metabolism , biochemistry , methionine , cysteine , biomolecule , sulfurtransferase , enzyme , rhodanese , cofactor , biosynthesis , sulfide , coenzyme a , chemistry , biology , amino acid , organic chemistry , reductase
Abstract Sulfur is a functionally important element of living matter. Incorporation into biomolecules occurs by two basic strategies. Sulfide is added to an activated acceptor in the biosynthesis of cysteine, from which methionine, coenzyme A and a number of biologically important thiols can be constructed. By contrast, the biosyntheses of iron sulfur clusters, cofactors such as thiamin, molybdopterin, biotin and lipoic acid, and the thio modification of tRNA require an activated sulfur species termed persulfidic sulfur (R‐S‐SH) instead of sulfide. Persulfidic sulfur is produced enzymatically with the IscS protein, the SufS protein and rhodanese being the most prominent biocatalysts. This review gives an overview of sulfur incorporation into biomolecules in prokaryotes with a special emphasis on the properties and the enzymatic generation of persulfidic sulfur as well as its use in biosynthetic pathways.