Design, Validation, and Application of an Enzyme-Coupled Hydrogen Sulfide Detection Assay

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a key metabolite in biosynthesis and is increasingly being recognized as an essential gasotransmitter. Owing to its diffusible and reactive nature, H2S can be difficult to quantify, particularly in situ. Although several detection schemes are available, they have drawbacks. In efforts to quantify sulfide release in the cross-linking reaction of the flagellar protein FlgE, we developed an enzyme-coupled sulfide detection assay using the Escherichia coli O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase enzyme CysM. Conversion of HS– to l-cysteine via CysM followed by derivatization with the thiol-specific fluorescent dye 7-diethylamino-3-(4-maleimidophenyl)-4-methylcoumarin enables for facile detection and quantification of H2S by fluorescent HPLC. The assay was validated by comparison to the well-established methylene blue sulfide detection assay and the robustness demonstrated by interference assays in the presence of common thiols such as glutathione, 2-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, and l-methio...