Volatile sulfur compound-producing bacterial enzyme

Volatile sulfur compound-producing bacterial enzymes are a functional class of enzymes expressed mainly by anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Treponema denticola, which are implicated in protein degradation in the oral cavity and associated with the formation of malodorous volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) such as hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan[2][5][7][1]. These VSCs are major contributors to halitosis (oral malodor) and are also linked to periodontal disease and other oral infections[5][2][1]. The most prominent enzyme activities described include cysteine desulfhydrase/cysteine lyase, methionine γ-lyase, and other proteolytic enzymes capable of liberating sulfur from amino acids[7]. These enzymes are considered therapeutic targets primarily for reducing oral malodor and possibly in the management of periodontal diseases[5][2]. The identified target is not a single canonical enzyme but a group of functionally similar bacterial enzymes; thus, the term is not a standard, singular therapeutic target and is too broad for one canonical entry—specific enzymes should be named when possible.

Other names

Volatile sulfur compound-producing enzymeVSC-producing enzymeBacterial VSC enzymeHalitosis-associated enzyme

Inhibition of VSC-producing enzymatic pathways reduces VSCs and ameliorates halitosis