A huge number of biological reactions occur inside cells with the formation of various side effects.
It is known that one class of these molecules, reactiveform of sulfur (RSS), performs biological functions. But scientists didn't know how cells responded to RSS accumulation. Now the researchers have described a system by which excess RSS can be actively transported out of cells.
Cells are constantly undergoing chemicalreactions, including two opposite reactions known as oxidation and reduction. Therefore, it is important that this balance, known as redox homeostasis, be maintained for cell health.
Scientists have shown that RSS acts asantioxidant to protect against oxidative stress and maintain redox homeostasis. But an excess of molecules can also lead to sulfur stress.
For the study, scientists bred a species of mice thatgenerated surplus RSS. After conducting an experiment, biologists showed that RSS increased in the extracellular space, but not inside the cells. This indicates an active mechanism of RSS transport from cells.
"The strict regulation of cellular levels of RSS, whichwe observed suggests an adaptive cellular mechanism controlling RSS levels. It most likely exists to protect the body from sulfur stress,” explains senior author of the study, Professor Yoshito Kumagai.
Transport proteins are responsible for movingmolecules from cells. The team found that an amino acid called cystine plays a key role in RSS export, suggesting that a specific transporter, SLC7A11, is involved in RSS transport. SLC7A11 is known to bring cystine into the cell while simultaneously pumping out another amino acid called glutamate. Since cystine is a sulfur-containing molecule, the scientists were surprised that SLC7A11 imports cystine and exports RSS.
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