Enzymatic formation of polysulfides from mercaptopyruvate.

An enzyme system in rat liver catalyzes the decomposition of mercaptopyruvate to pyruvate and sulfur (1). At the optimal pH of this system, this reaction has been shown to be a transsulfuration (2). Acceptors of the sulfur include cyanide (2), sulfite and sulfinates (3). In the absence of an acceptor, the sulfur is fixed in a reactive form which decomposes to free sulfur at lower pH. This report shows the initial form of the reactive sulfur to have the properties of a nondiffusible polysulfide.