Adaptive Responses to Electrophilic Stress and Reactive Sulfur Species as their Regulator Molecules

We are exposed to numerous xenobiotic electrophiles on a daily basis through the environment, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Although such reactive species have been associated with detrimental effects, recent accumulated evidence indicates that xenobiotic electrophiles appear to act as signaling molecules. In this review, we introduce our findings on 1) activation of various redox signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, detoxification/excretion of electrophiles, quality control of cellular proteins, and cell survival during exposure to xenobiotic electrophiles at low concentrations through covalent modification of thiol groups in sensor proteins, and 2) negative regulation of reactive sulfur species (RSS) in the modulation of redox signaling and toxicity caused by xenobiotic electrophiles.