Sosa Torres Martha E, Rito Morales Alfonso, Solano Peralta Alejandro, Kroneck Peter M H
Met Ions Life Sci. 2020 Mar 23;20. doi: 10.1515/9783110589757-008.
The non-metallic chemical element sulfur, 3216S , referred to in Genesis as brimstone and identified as element by Lavoisier, is the tenth most abundant element in the universe and the fifth most common element on Earth. Important inorganic forms of sulfur in the biosphere are elemental sulfur (S8), sulfate (SO2-4), and sulfide (S2-), sulfite (SO2-3), thiosulfate, (S2O23), and polythionates (S3O62-; S4O62-). Because of its wide range of stable oxidation states, from +6to -2, sulfur plays important roles in central biochemistry as a structural and redoxactive element and is intimately related to life on Earth. Unusual reaction pathways involving sulfur compounds become possible by the specific properties of this element. Sulfur occurs in all the major classes of biomolecules, including enzymes, proteins, sugars, nucleic acids, vitamin cofactors, and metabolites. The flexibility of these biomolecules follows from its versatile chemistry. The best known sulfur mineral is perhaps pyrite (Fool's gold), with the chemical formula, FeS2. Sulfur radical anions, such as [S3].-, are responsible for the intense blue color of lapis lazuli, one of the most desired and expensive artists' materials. In the microbial world, inorganic sulfur compounds, e.g., elemental sulfur and sulfate, belong to the most important electron acceptors. Studies on microbial sulfur metabolism revealed many novel enzymes and pathways and advanced the understanding on metabolic processes used for energy conservation, not only of the microbes, but of biology in general. Transition metal sulfur complexes display intriguing catalytic activities, they provide surfaces and complex cavities in metalloenzymes that activate inert molecules such as H2, CO, N2 or N2O, and they catalyze the transformations of numerous organic molecules. Both thiamine diphosphate- (ThDP) and S-adenosyl- L-methionine- (SAM) dependent enzymes belong to Nature's most powerful catalysts with a remarkable spectrum of catalytic activities. In conclusion, given sulfur's diverse properties, evolution made an excellent choice in selecting sulfur as one the basic elements of life.
非金属化学元素硫，符号为(^{32}_{16}S)，在《创世纪》中被称为硫磺，由拉瓦锡确定为一种元素，它是宇宙中第十丰富的元素，也是地球上第五常见的元素。生物圈中硫的重要无机形式有元素硫（(S_8)）、硫酸根（(SO_4^{2 - })）、硫离子（(S^{2 - })）、亚硫酸根（(SO_3^{2 - })）、硫代硫酸根（(S_2O_3^{2 - })）和连多硫酸根（(S_3O_6^{2 - })；(S_4O_6^{2 - })）。由于硫具有从( + 6)到(-2)的广泛稳定氧化态，它作为一种结构和具有氧化还原活性的元素在核心生物化学中发挥着重要作用，并且与地球上的生命密切相关。这种元素的特殊性质使得涉及硫化合物的不寻常反应途径成为可能。硫存在于所有主要类型的生物分子中，包括酶、蛋白质、糖类、核酸、维生素辅因子和代谢物。这些生物分子的灵活性源于其多样的化学性质。最著名的硫矿物可能是黄铁矿（愚人金），化学式为(FeS_2)。硫自由基阴离子，如([S_3]^-)，是青金石强烈蓝色的原因，青金石是最受欢迎且最昂贵的艺术家材料之一。在微生物世界中，无机硫化合物，例如元素硫和硫酸根，属于最重要的电子受体。对微生物硫代谢的研究揭示了许多新的酶和途径，并加深了对用于能量守恒的代谢过程的理解，这不仅适用于微生物，也适用于整个生物学。过渡金属硫配合物表现出有趣的催化活性，它们在金属酶中提供表面和复杂的腔，可激活诸如(H_2)、(CO)、(N_2)或(N_2O)等惰性分子，并催化众多有机分子的转化。硫胺二磷酸（ThDP）和(S -)腺苷甲硫氨酸（SAM）依赖性酶都属于自然界中最强大的催化剂，具有显著的催化活性谱。总之，鉴于硫的多样性质，进化在选择硫作为生命的基本元素之一方面做出了绝佳选择。
