Thiiranes: Intelligent Molecules for S-Persulfidation.

This study presents a global strategy for the transsulfuration of intracellular thiols (RSH) to persulfides (RSSH). Thiiranes comprising fluorenyl/diphenyl and malonate ester moieties directly convert intercellular RSH to low-molecular-weight RSSH in cells. The efficiency of transsulfuration is determined by counting the number of olefins produced as byproducts, providing ratiometric signals for the corresponding persulfide production. Specifically, the direct and rapid protein S-persulfidation by thiirane is validated. Thiiranes are expected to play a crucial role in the study of sulfur signaling.

Clinical severity according to the primary infection variant in patients with suspected SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the severity of suspected severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reinfection according to variants of concern in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Daegu, Korea. METHODS: The database of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases reported from epidemiological investigations through the integrated system operated by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, from January 20, 2020 to May 7, 2022 was combined with data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service system. The severity odds ratio (SOR) in secondary infection episodes compared with primary infection was estimated using a generalized linear model with a binomial distribution. RESULTS: In all patients, the SOR of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection was 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 0.95), and the severity was lower than in the first infection. Patients who had been vaccinated within 91 days showed a more attenuated SOR (0.85; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.98). However, despite vaccination, in patients with both primary and secondary infections caused by the Omicron variant, the severity was reduced to a lesser extent than in patients primarily infected with other variants. CONCLUSIONS: We could make efforts to relieve the severity of COVID-19 in vulnerable populations, in which death is more likely, by recommending booster vaccinations in case of a resurgence.

Synthesis and neuroprotective effects of H2S-donor-peptide hybrids on hippocampal neuronal cells.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has emerged as an endogenous signaling molecule that functions in many physiological and pathological processes of human cells in health and disease, including neuromodulation and neuroprotection, inflammation, angiogenesis, and vasorelaxation. The limited clinical applications of current H2S donors have led to the development of H2S donor hybrid compounds that combine current H2S donors with bioactive molecules. Finely tuned multi-targeting hybrid molecules have been shown to have complementary neuroprotective effects against reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress. In this study, we developed hybrid molecules combining a dithiolethione-based slow-releasing H2S donor that exerts neuroprotective effects, with the tripeptides glycyl-L-histidyl-l-lysine (GHK) and L-alanyl-L-cystinyl-l-glutamine (ACQ), two natural products that exhibit powerful antioxidant effects. In particular, a hybrid combination of a dithiolethione-based slow-releasing H2S donor and ACQ exhibited significant neuroprotective effects against glutamate-induced oxidative damage in HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells. This hybrid remarkably suppressed Ca2+ accumulation and ROS production. Furthermore, it efficiently inhibited apoptotic neuronal cell death by blocking apoptosis-inducing factor release and its translocation to the nucleus. These results indicate that the hybrid efficiently inhibited apoptotic neuronal cell damage by complementary neuroprotective actions.

Changes in the pattern and disease burden of acute respiratory viral infections before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: We conducted a comparative analysis of the differences in the incidence of 8 acute respiratory viruses and the changes in their patterns before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: Three sentinel surveillance systems of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service were analyzed. The average numbers of reported cases and the related hospital admissions and outpatient data were compared between April 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. Changes in the disease burden and medical expenditures between these 2 time periods were evaluated. RESULTS: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of reported cases of all acute respiratory viral infections, except for human bocavirus, decreased significantly. Data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service also showed decreases in the actual amount of medical service usage and a marked reduction in medical expenditures. CONCLUSION: Non-pharmacological interventions in response to COVID-19 showed preventive effects on the transmission of other respiratory viruses, as well as COVID-19. Although COVID-19 had a tremendous impact on society as a whole, with high social costs, there were also positive effects, such as a reduction in the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections.

Epidemiological characteristics of varicella outbreaks in the Republic of Korea, 2016-2020.

OBJECTIVES: We described the trends and epidemiological characteristics of varicella outbreaks from 2016 to 2020 in the Republic of Korea. METHODS: We investigated variables such as the outbreak setting, age of patients, vaccination status, and lesion count. The collected data were analyzed with the Cochrane-Armitage trend test and Kruskal-Wallis test. These statistical tests were performed using R ver. 4.0.3. RESULTS: The number of varicella outbreaks increased from 2016 to 2018; however, after a slight decrease in the number of outbreaks in 2019, the number fell sharply in 2020. The median size of outbreaks decreased from 8 to 9 cases during 2016-2019 to 6 cases in 2020. The median duration of outbreaks was 18 days during 2016-2017, 28 days in 2018, 29 days in 2019, and 15 days in 2020. Varicella outbreaks occurred most frequently in elementary schools, and vaccination coverage of patients increased from 89.4% in 2016 to 97.2% in 2019. The median age of patients with outbreak-related varicella decreased from 8 years in 2016 to 6 years in 2020. CONCLUSION: Significant changes were observed in the age of patients with outbreak-related varicella. Ongoing monitoring of varicella outbreaks should be conducted. Further research will be needed to measure the disease burden of varicella and enable evidence-based policy decisions.

Esterase-sensitive trithiane-based hydrogen sulfide donors.

1,3,5-Trithiane functionalized with esterase-sensitive ester groups on the methylene linkers was developed as a class of enzymatic hydrolysis-based hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors. The amount of H2S released from the donors was dependent on the number of ester bonds. The donors release H2S in a controllable manner in the presence of an enzyme.

Phosphite Esters: Reagents for Exploring S-Nitrosothiol Chemistry.

The reactions between S-nitrosothiols and phosphite esters, including P(OPh)3, P(OBn)3, and P(OEt)3, were studied. Two different conjugated adducts, thiophosphoramidates and phosphorothioates, were formed, depending on the structures of the S-nitrosothiol substrate (e.g., primary vs tertiary). These reactions proceeded under mild conditions, and the reaction mechanisms were studied using experiments and calculations.

Discovery of Heteroaromatic Sulfones As a New Class of Biologically Compatible Thiol-Selective Reagents.

The selective reaction of chemical reagents with reduced protein thiols is critical to biological research. This reaction is utilized to prevent cross-linking of cysteine-containing peptides in common proteomics workflows and is applied widely in discovery and targeted redox investigations of the mechanisms underlying physiological and pathological processes. However, known and commonly used thiol blocking reagents like iodoacetamide, N-ethylmaleimide, and others were found to cross-react with oxidized protein sulfenic acids (-SOH) introducing significant errors in studies employing these reagents. We have investigated and are reporting here a new heteroaromatic alkylsulfone, 4-(5-methanesulfonyl-[1,2,3,4]tetrazol-1-yl)-phenol (MSTP), as a selective and highly reactive -SH blocking reagent compatible with biological applications.

Hydrogen Sulfide Regulates Krüppel-Like Factor 5 Transcription Activity via Specificity Protein 1 S-Sulfhydration at Cys664 to Prevent Myocardial Hypertrophy.

BACKGROUND: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gasotransmitter that regulates multiple cardiovascular functions. Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) exerts diverse functions in the cardiovascular system. Whether and how H2S regulates KLF5 in myocardial hypertrophy is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: In our study, hypertrophic myocardial samples in the clinic were collected and underwent histological and molecular biological analysis. Spontaneously hypertensive rats and neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were studied for functional and signaling responses to GYY4137, an H2S-releasing compound. Expression of cystathionine γ-lyase, a principal enzyme for H2S generation in heart, decreased in human hypertrophic myocardium, whereas KLF5 expression increased. After GYY4137 administration for 4 weeks, myocardial hypertrophy was inhibited in spontaneously hypertensive rats, as demonstrated by improvement in cardiac structural parameters, heart mass, size of cardiac myocytes, and expression of atrial natriuretic peptide. H2S diminished expression of KLF5 in myocardium of spontaneously hypertensive rats and in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes. H2S also inhibits platelet-derived growth factor A promoter activity, decreased recruitment of KLF5 to the platelet-derived growth factor A promoter, and reduced atrial natriuretic peptide expression in angiotensin II-stimulated cardiomyocytes, and these effects are suppressed by KLF5 knockdown. KLF5 promoter activity and KLF5 expression was also reversed by H2S. H2S increased the S-sulfhydration on specificity protein 1 in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, H2S decreased KLF5 promoter activity; reduced KLF5 mRNA expression; attenuated specificity protein 1 binding activity with KLF5 promoter; and inhibited hypertrophy after specificity protein 1 mutated at Cys659, Cys689, and Cys692 but not Cys664 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that H2S regulates KLF5 transcription activity via specificity protein 1 S-sulfhydration at Cys664 to prevent myocardial hypertrophy.

pH-Controlled Hydrogen Sulfide Release for Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a critical signaling molecule that regulates many physiological and/or pathological processes. Modulation of H2S levels could have potential therapeutic value. In this work, we report the rational design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a class of phosphonamidothioate-based H2S-releasing agents (i.e., H2S donors). A novel pH-dependent intramolecular cyclization was employed to promote H2S release from the donors. These water-soluble compounds showed slow, controllable, and pH-sensitive production of H2S in aqueous solutions. The donors also showed significant cytoprotective effects in cellular models of oxidative damage. Most importantly, the donors were found to exhibit potent cardioprotective effects in an in vivo murine model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury through a H2S-related mechanism.

Use of metabolomics for the chemotaxonomy of legume-associated Ascochyta and allied genera.

Chemotaxonomy and the comparative analysis of metabolic features of fungi have the potential to provide valuable information relating to ecology and evolution, but have not been fully explored in fungal biology. Here, we investigated the chemical diversity of legume-associated Ascochyta and Phoma species and the possible use of a metabolomics approach using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry for their classification. The metabolic features of 45 strains including 11 known species isolated from various legumes were extracted, and the datasets were analyzed using chemometrics methods such as principal component and hierarchical clustering analyses. We found a high degree of intra-species consistency in metabolic profiles, but inter-species diversity was high. Molecular phylogenies of the legume-associated Ascochyta/Phoma species were estimated using sequence data from three protein-coding genes and the five major chemical groups that were detected in the hierarchical clustering analysis were mapped to the phylogeny. Clusters based on similarity of metabolic features were largely congruent with the species phylogeny. These results indicated that evolutionarily distinct fungal lineages have diversified their metabolic capacities as they have evolved independently. This whole metabolomics approach may be an effective tool for chemotaxonomy of fungal taxa lacking information on their metabolic content.

9-Fluorenylmethyl (Fm) Disulfides: Biomimetic Precursors for Persulfides.

The development of a functional disulfide, FmSSPy-A (Fm = 9-fluorenylmethyl; Py = pyridinyl), is reported. It can effectively convert small molecule and protein thiols (-SH) to form -S-SFm adducts under mild conditions. This method allows for a H2S-free and biomimetic protocol to generate highly reactive persulfides (in their anionic forms). The high nucleophilicity of persulfides toward a number of thiol-blocking reagents is also demonstrated. The method holds promise for further understanding the chemical biology of persulfides and S-sulfhydration.

Proline-based phosphoramidite reagents for the reductive ligation of S-nitrosothiols.

S-Nitrosothiols (RSNOs) have many biological implications but are rarely used in organic synthesis. In this work we report the development of proline-based phosphoramidite substrates that can effectively convert RSNOs to proline-based sulfenamides through a reductive ligation process. A unique property of this method is that the phosphine oxide moiety on the ligation products can be readily removed under acidic conditions. In conjugation with the facile preparation of RSNOs from the corresponding thiols (RSHs), this method provides a new way to prepare proline-based sulfenamides from simple thiol starting materials.

SIRT3 Mediates the Antioxidant Effect of Hydrogen Sulfide in Endothelial Cells.

AIM: Oxidative stress is a key contributor to endothelial dysfunction and associated cardiovascular pathogenesis. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an antioxidant gasotransmitter that protects endothelial cells against oxidative stress. Sirtuin3 (SIRT3), which belongs to the silent information regulator 2 (SIR2) family, is an important deacetylase under oxidative stress. H2S is able to regulate the activity of several sirtuins. The present study aims to investigate the role of SIRT3 in the antioxidant effect of H2S in endothelial cells. RESULTS: Cultured EA.hy926 endothelial cells were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a model of oxidative stress-induced cell injury. GYY4137, a slow-releasing H2S donor, improved cell viability, reduced oxidative stress and apoptosis, and improved mitochondrial function following H2O2 treatment. H2S reversed the stimulation of MAPK phosphorylation, downregulation of SIRT3 mRNA and reduction of the superoxide dismutase 2 and isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 expression which were induced by H2O2. H2S also increased activator protein 1 (AP-1) binding activity with SIRT3 promoter and this effect was absent in the presence of the specific AP-1 inhibitor, SR11302 or curcumin. Paraquat administration to mice induced a defected endothelium-dependent aortic vasodilatation and increased oxidative stress in both mouse aorta and small mesenteric artery, which were alleviated by GYY4137 treatment. This vasoprotective effect of H2S was absent in SIRT3 knockout mice. INNOVATION: The present results highlight a novel role for SIRT3 in the protective effect of H2S against oxidant damage in the endothelium both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: H2S enhances AP-1 binding activity with the SIRT3 promoter, thereby upregulating SIRT3 expression and ultimately reducing oxidant-provoked vascular endothelial dysfunction. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 24, 329-343.

Phosphine Mediated Conjugation of S-Nitrosothiols and Aldehydes.

S-Nitrosothiols (SNO) and their biological implications as an important post-translational modification are under active investigation. In our work on bioorthogonal reactions of protein SNO we have uncovered chemistry of this functionality that shows synthetic promise. Herein we report a phosphine-mediated reaction between SNO and aldehydes to form thioimines. A simple synthesis of benzoisothiazole based on this reaction is presented.

Characterizations of Two Bacterial Persulfide Dioxygenases of the Metallo-ß-lactamase Superfamily.

Persulfide dioxygenases (PDOs), also known as sulfur dioxygenases (SDOs), oxidize glutathione persulfide (GSSH) to sulfite and GSH. PDOs belong to the metallo-ß-lactamase superfamily and play critical roles in animals, plants, and microorganisms, including sulfide detoxification. The structures of two PDOs from human and Arabidopsis thaliana have been reported; however, little is known about the substrate binding and catalytic mechanism. The crystal structures of two bacterial PDOs from Pseudomonas putida and Myxococcus xanthus were determined at 1.5- and 2.5-Å resolution, respectively. The structures of both PDOs were homodimers, and their metal centers and ß-lactamase folds were superimposable with those of related enzymes, especially the glyoxalases II. The PDOs share similar Fe(II) coordination and a secondary coordination sphere-based hydrogen bond network that is absent in glyoxalases II, in which the corresponding residues are involved instead in coordinating a second metal ion. The crystal structure of the complex between the Pseudomonas PDO and GSH also reveals the similarity of substrate binding between it and glyoxalases II. Further analysis implicates an identical mode of substrate binding by known PDOs. Thus, the data not only reveal the differences in metal binding and coordination between the dioxygenases and the hydrolytic enzymes in the metallo-ß-lactamase superfamily, but also provide detailed information on substrate binding by PDOs.

Persulfides: current knowledge and challenges in chemistry and chemical biology.

Recent studies conducted in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) signaling have revealed potential importance of persulfides (RSSH) in redox biology. The inherent instability of RSSH makes these species difficult to study and sometimes controversial results are reported. In this review article we summarize known knowledge about both small molecule persulfides and protein persulfides. Their fundamental physical and chemical properties such as preparation/formation and reactivity are discussed. The biological implications of persulfides and their detection methods are also discussed.

Use of the "tag-switch" method for the detection of protein S-sulfhydration.

Protein S-sulfhydration (i.e., converting protein cysteines -SH to persulfides -SSH) is a redox-based posttranslational modification. This reaction plays an important role in signaling pathways mediated by hydrogen sulfide or other reactive sulfane sulfur species. Recently, our laboratories developed a "tag-switch" method which can be used to selectively label and detect protein S-sulfhydrated residues. In this chapter, we provide a comprehensive summary of this method, including the design of the method, preparation of the reagents, validation on small-molecule substrates, as well as applications in protein labeling. Experimental protocols for the use of the method are described in details.

Use of phosphorodithioate-based compounds as hydrogen sulfide donors.

Synthetic hydrogen sulfide (H2S) donors are useful research tools as well as potential therapeutic agents. In this chapter, we report the detailed protocols for the synthesis and evaluation of a series of phosphorodithioate-based H2S donors. Fluorescence assays were used to determine H2S release from the donors in both aqueous buffers and in cultured cells. These donors were found to be slow-release donors, much like the well-known GYY4137. These donors also showed some protective effects against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage in myocytes.

Functional Analyses of the Diels-Alderase Gene sol5 of Ascochyta rabiei and Alternaria solani Indicate that the Solanapyrone Phytotoxins Are Not Required for Pathogenicity.

Ascochyta rabiei and Alternaria solani, the causal agents of Ascochyta blight of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and early blight of potato (Solanum tuberosum), respectively, produce a set of phytotoxic compounds including solanapyrones A, B, and C. Although both the phytotoxicity of solanapyrones and their universal production among field isolates have been documented, the role of solanapyrones in pathogenicity is not well understood. Here, we report the functional characterization of the sol5 gene, which encodes a Diels-Alderase that catalyzes the final step of solanapyrone biosynthesis. Deletion of sol5 in both Ascochyta rabiei and Alternaria solani completely prevented production of solanapyrones and led to accumulation of the immediate precursor compound, prosolanapyrone II-diol, which is not toxic to plants. Deletion of sol5 did not negatively affect growth rate or spore production in vitro, and led to overexpression of the other solanapyrone biosynthesis genes, suggesting a possible feedback regulation mechanism. Phytotoxicity tests showed that solanapyrone A is highly toxic to several legume species and Arabidopsis thaliana. Despite the apparent phytotoxicity of solanapyrone A, pathogenicity tests showed that solanapyrone-minus mutants of Ascochyta rabiei and Alternaria solani were equally virulent as their corresponding wild-type progenitors, suggesting that solanapyrones are not required for pathogenicity.