Department of Plant Physiology, RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany.
School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
Molecules. 2021 Mar 10;26(6):1505. doi: 10.3390/molecules26061505.
The volatile organic sulfur compound allicin (diallyl thiosulfinate) is produced as a defense substance when garlic () tissues are damaged, for example by the activities of pathogens or pests. Allicin gives crushed garlic its characteristic odor, is membrane permeable and readily taken up by exposed cells. It is a reactive thiol-trapping sulfur compound that -thioallylates accessible cysteine residues in proteins and low molecular weight thiols including the cellular redox buffer glutathione (GSH) in eukaryotes and Gram-negative bacteria, as well as bacillithiol (BSH) in Gram-positive firmicutes. Allicin shows dose-dependent antimicrobial activity. At higher doses in eukaryotes allicin can induce apoptosis or necrosis, whereas lower, biocompatible amounts can modulate the activity of redox-sensitive proteins and affect cellular signaling. This review summarizes our current knowledge of how bacterial and eukaryotic cells are specifically affected by, and respond to, allicin.
当大蒜组织受到损伤时，例如受到病原体或害虫的侵袭，会产生挥发性有机硫化合物大蒜素（二烯丙基硫代亚磺酸酯）作为防御物质。大蒜素赋予压碎的大蒜其特有的气味，具有膜通透性，并容易被暴露的细胞吸收。它是一种反应性的巯基捕获硫化合物，可将蛋白质和低分子量巯基中的可及半胱氨酸残基巯基化，包括真核生物和革兰氏阴性细菌中的细胞氧化还原缓冲剂谷胱甘肽（GSH），以及革兰氏阳性Firmicutes 中的 bacillithiol (BSH)。大蒜素表现出剂量依赖性的抗菌活性。在真核生物中，较高剂量的大蒜素可以诱导细胞凋亡或坏死，而较低的、生物相容性的剂量可以调节氧化还原敏感蛋白的活性并影响细胞信号转导。这篇综述总结了我们目前对细菌和真核细胞如何受到大蒜素的特异性影响以及如何对其做出反应的认识。
