The Role of Supersulfide in Methylmercury Detoxification

Yakugaku Zasshi. 2024;144(1):41-45. doi: 10.1248/yakushi.23-00162-1.ABSTRACTMethylmercury is a ubiquitous neurotoxic substance present in the environment, and health concerns, especially through the consumption of seafood, remain. Glutathione (GSH)-mediated detoxification and the excretion of methylmercury are known metabolic detoxification pathways. We have also discovered a mechanism by which endogenous super-sulfides convert methylmercury to nontoxic metabolites such as bis-methylmercury sulfide. However, these metabolites are present in very small quantities, and the significance of the detoxification of methylmercury by super-sulfides is not well understood. Methylmercury binds to thiol groups in vivo but can also react with highly reactive selenols (selenocysteine residues). Such covalent bonds (S-mercuration and Se-mercuration) are broken by nucleophilic substitution reactions with other thiol and selenols, however, the contribution of super-sulfides to this substitution reaction is not well understood. Interestingly, a recent study suggested that selenoprotein P, the major selenium transport protein in plasma, binds to methylmercury, however, Se-mercuration was not determined. In this review, we introduce these series of reactions and discuss their involvement with super-sulfides in methylmercury toxicity.PMID:38171793 | DOI:10.1248/yakushi.23-00162-1
Source: Yakugaku Zasshi : Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Source Type: research