The S-sulfate formation from 4-nitrobenzyl mercaptan in rat liver cytosol.

4-Nitrobenzyl mercaptan (NBM) was enzymatically transformed at pH 6.0 into its S-sulfate in rat liver cytosol fortified with 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate. At pH 7.4, the S-sulfate was not detected from the incubation mixture. 4-Nitrobenzyl alcohol was also transformed under the same incubation conditions into the corresponding O-sulfate at a higher rate at pH 6.0 than at pH 7.4. Under the incubation conditions used, NBM S-sulfate reacted with the substrate NBM at a significant rate to afford 4-nitrobenzyl disulfide. The disulfide formation from NBM and the S-sulfate occurred more readily at pH 7.4 than at pH 6.0, so that biologically formed NBM S-sulfate was strongly suggested not to remain unchanged in the incubation mixture at pH 7.4.