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SULFUR METABOLISM

GSH hoards all the cysteine—what a slimy thing to do

Nutrient availability dictates cell differentiation and transition through the Dictyostelium discoideum life cycle. Kelly et al. reveal that the increase in reactive oxygen species associated with nutrient limitation coincides with a sequestration of available cysteine in glutathione, thus limiting sulfur-dependent mitochondrial respiration and promoting aggregation into the differentiated spore form.

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Fig. 1: Rewiring of sulfur metabolism under nutrient limitation inhibits mitochondrial function and promotes D. discoideum aggregation.

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Correspondence to Nathan P. Ward or Gina M. DeNicola.

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Ward, N.P., DeNicola, G.M. GSH hoards all the cysteine—what a slimy thing to do. Nat Metab 3, 297–298 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-021-00365-z

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