Background: It has been four decades since protein S-glutathionylation was proposed to serve as a regulator of cell metabolism. Since then, this redox-sensitive covalent modification has been identified as a cell-wide signaling platform required for embryonic development and regulation of many physiological functions.
Scope of the review: Mitochondria use hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a second messenger, but its availability must be controlled to prevent oxidative distress and promote changes in cell behavior in response to stimuli. Experimental data favor the function of protein S-glutathionylation as a feedback loop for the inhibition of mitochondrial H2O2 production.
Major conclusions: The glutathione pool redox state is linked to the availability of H2O2, making glutathionylation an ideal mechanism for preventing oxidative distress whilst playing a part in desensitizing mitochondrial redox signals.
General significance: The biological significance of glutathionylation is rooted in redox status communication. The present review critically evaluates the experimental evidence supporting its role in negating mitochondrial H2O2 production for cell signaling and prevention of electrophilic stress.
Keywords: bioenergetics; glutathionylation; hydrogen peroxide; mitochondria; redox signaling.