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Appl Environ Microbiol

Title:		"Enzymatic methylation of sulfide, selenide, and organic thiols by Tetrahymena thermophila"
Author(s):		Drotar A; Fall LR; Mishalanie EA; Tavernier JE; Fall R;
Address:		"Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309"
Journal Title:		Appl Environ Microbiol
Year:		1987
Volume:		53
Issue:		9
Page Number:		2111 - 2118
DOI:		10.1128/aem.53.9.2111-2118.1987
ISSN/ISBN:		0099-2240 (Print) 1098-5336 (Electronic) 0099-2240 (Linking)
Abstract:		"Cell extracts from the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila catalyzed the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methylation of sulfide. The product of the reaction, methanethiol, was detected by a radiometric assay and by a gas-chromatographic assay coupled to a sulfur-selective chemiluminescence detector. Extracts also catalyzed the methylation of selenide, and the product was shown by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to be methaneselenol. The sulfide and selenide methyltransferase activities copurified with the aromatic thiol methyltransferase previously characterized from this organism (A.-M. Drotar and R. Fall, Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 25:396-406, 1986), but heat inactivation experiments suggested the involvement of distinct sulfide and selenide methyltransferases. Short-term toxicity tests were carried out for sulfide, selenide, and their methylated derivatives; the monomethylated forms were somewhat more toxic than the nonmethylated or dimethylated compounds. Cell suspensions of T. thermophila exposed to sulfide, methanethiol, or their selenium analogs emitted methylated derivatives into the headspace. These results suggest that this freshwater protozoan is capable of the stepwise methylation of sulfide and selenide, leading to the release of volatile methylated sulfur or selenium gases"
Keywords:		Animals Borohydrides/metabolism Hot Temperature Kinetics Methylation Methyltransferases/*metabolism *Organoselenium Compounds Selenium/*metabolism *Selenium Compounds Sulfhydryl Compounds/*metabolism Sulfides/*metabolism Tetrahymena/*enzymology;
Notes:		"MedlineDrotar, A Fall, L R Mishalanie, E A Tavernier, J E Fall, R eng ES 02639/ES/NIEHS NIH HHS/ Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 1987/09/01 Appl Environ Microbiol. 1987 Sep; 53(9):2111-8. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.9.2111-2118.1987"