Hydrogen Sulfide-Linked Sulfhydration of NF-κB Mediates Its Antiapoptotic Actions

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is an anti-apoptotic transcription factor. We show that the anti-apoptotic actions of NF-κB are mediated by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) synthesized by cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE). TNFα treatment triples H2S generation by stimulating binding of SP1 to the CSE promoter. H2S generated by CSE stimulates DNA binding and gene activation of NF-κB, processes that are abolished in CSE deleted mice. As CSE deletion leads to decreased glutathione levels, resultant oxidative stress may contribute to alterations in CSE mutant mice. H2S acts by sulfhydrating the p65 subunit of NF-κB at cysteine-38, which promotes its binding to the co-activator ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3). Sulfhydration of p65 predominates early following TNFα treatment, then declines and is succeeded by a reciprocal enhancement of p65 nitrosylation. Anti-apoptotic influences of NF-κB, which are markedly diminished in CSE mutant mice. Thus, sulfhydration of NF-κB appears to be a physiologic determinant of its anti-apoptotic transcriptional activity.