Carbonyl Sulfide (COS) Donor Induced Protein Persulfidation Protects against Oxidative Stress

The emergence of hydrogen sulfide (H₂ S) as an important signalling molecule in redox biology with therapeutic potential has triggered interest in generating this molecule within cells. One strategy that has been proposed is to use carbonyl sulfide (COS) as a surrogate for hydrogen sulfide. Small molecules that generate COS have been shown to produce hydrogen sulfide in the presence of carbonic anhydrase, a widely prevalent enzyme. However, other studies have indicated that COS may have biological effects which are distinct from H₂ S. Thus, it would be useful to develop tools to compare (and contrast) effects of COS and H₂ S. Here we report enzyme-activated COS donors that are capable of inducing protein persulfidation, which is symptomatic of generation of hydrogen sulfide. The COS donors are also capable of mitigating stress induced by elevated reactive oxygen species. Together, our data suggests that the effects of COS parallel that of hydrogen sulfide, laying the foundation for further development of these donors as possible therapeutic agents.