Abstract
Rhodanese is a multifunctional, mitochondrial, sulphur transferase that catalyses the detoxification of cyanide by sulphuration in a double displacement (ping pong) mechanistic reaction. It is widely distributed occurring in varieties of plants and animals, where it activity is modulated by a number of factors including differences in species, organs, sex, age and diet. The enzyme is a single polypeptide chain of 289 amino acids with molecular weight of up to 37,000. The active site of rhodanese contains a tryptophanyl residue in close proximity with an essential sulphahydryl group. Many methods for assaying rhodanese have been reported, the most prominent being the one based on the colorimetric estimation of thiocyanate formed from the reaction of cyanide and thiosulphate, catalysed by rhodanese. Key words: Rhodanese, cyanide, sulphur transferase.
Highlights
Many plants and plant products used as food in tropical countries contains cyanogenic glycosides
A close relationship exists between rhodanese activity and cyanogenesis, which suggest that the enzyme provides a mechanism for cyanide detoxification in cyanogenic plants (Smith and Urbanska, 1986)
There is an indication of a possible role of rhodanese in providing labile sulphide necessary for the synthesis of ferredoxin in the chloroplast of spinach, parsley, cabbage, and red turnips (Tomati, 1972)
Summary
Many plants and plant products used as food in tropical countries contains cyanogenic glycosides. Amygdalin is found in plums, cherries, pears, apple and apricots These compounds are present in plants such as rice, unripe sugar cane, several species of nuts and certain species of yam (Osuntokun, 1981; Oke, 1979). Most of these plants and their products are staple foods in the tropics. These forms are dephospho – and phospho– rhodanese They were identical with respect to kinetic parameters, amino acid composition amino terminal amino acid, sulphahydryl content, tryptic maps and molecular weights. This paper reviews the physiological roles, structural features, mechanism of action and assay methods of rhodanese
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