Redox biochemistry of hydrogen sulfide.

H(2)S, the most recently discovered gasotransmitter, might in fact be the evolutionary matriarch of this family, being both ancient and highly reduced. Disruption of gamma-cystathionase in mice leads to cardiovascular dysfunction and marked hypertension, suggesting a key role for this enzyme in H(2)S production in the vasculature. However, patients with inherited deficiency in gamma-cystathionase apparently do not present vascular pathology. A mitochondrial pathway disposes sulfide and couples it to oxidative phosphorylation while also exposing cytochrome c oxidase to this metabolic poison. This report focuses on the biochemistry of H(2)S biogenesis and clearance, on the molecular mechanisms of its action, and on its varied biological effects.