The Genetics of Disulfide Bond Metabolism

Disulfide bonds are required for the stability and function of a large number of proteins. Genetic analysis in combination with biochemical studies have elucidated the main catalysts involved in facilitating these processes in the cell. All enzymes involved in thiol-disulfide metabolism have a conserved active site that consists of two cysteine residues, separated by two intervening amino acids, the Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Cys motif. While these enzymes are capable of catalyzing both disulfide bond formation and reduction, they have evolved to perform one or the other reaction more efficiently. In the cytoplasm, multiple pathways are involved in the reduction of disulfide bonds that occur as part of the catalytic cycle of a variety of metabolic enzymes. In the bacterial periplasm, a system for the efficient introduction as well as isomerization of disulfide bonds is in place. In eukaryotes, disulfide bonds are introduced into proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. Genetic studies have recently begun to reveal new features of this process. While the enzyme mechanisms of thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases have been the subject of much scrutiny, questions remain regarding where and when they act in vivo, their specificities, and the maintenance of the redox environment that determines their function.