Bacterial Sulfur Chemical Biology: Thiols, Hydrogen Sulfide and “Supersulfides”
Dr. David Giedroc
Professor of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington
September 9, 2026
Seminar Details
Host: BCBP Engagement Committee
Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
Location: BICH Rm. 108
Seminar Abstract
The infected host deploys generalized oxidative stress induced by small inorganic reactive molecules as antibacterial weapons. An emerging consensus is that endogenously synthesized hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and sulfur-containing molecules with sulfur-sulfur bonds, termed reactive sulfur species (RSS), provide protection against host-derived oxidative stressors and antibiotics. Our current understanding of RSS chemistry and its impact on bacterial physiology will be discussed. The role of thiol persulfides in H2S-signaling with a focus on distinct structural classes of evolutionarily ubiquitous RSS sensors and regulated enzymes that collectively regulate cellular H2S/RSS levels in bacteria will be highlighted. Finally, our discovery of a widespread bacterial transporter for the low molecular weight thiol and dietary antioxidant, ergothioneine, will be discussed, a finding that poses new questions regarding competition for this metabolite by the infected host, pathogen and microbiota.