In anaerobic or aerobic conditions in the presence of 5 mM sodium cyanide, an inhibitor of iron oxidase, cupric ion (Cu) was reduced enzymatically with elemental sulfur (S) by washed intact cells of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans AP19-3 to give cuprous ion (Cu). The rate of Cu reduction was proportional to the concentrations of S and Cu added to the reaction mixture. The pH optimum for the cupric ion-reducing system was 5.0, and the activity was completely destroyed by 10-min incubation of cells at 70 degrees C. The activity of Cu reduction with S by this strain was strongly inhibited by inhibitors of hydrogen sulfide: ferric ion oxidoreductase (SFORase), such as alpha,alpha'-dipyridyl, 4,5-dihydroxy-m-benzene disulfonic acid disodium salts, and diazine dicarboxylic acid bis-(N, N-dimethylamide). A SFORase purified from this strain, which catalyzes oxidation of both hydrogen sulfide and S with Fe or Mo as an electron acceptor in the presence of glutathione, catalyzed a reduction of Cu by S, and the Michaelis constant of SFORase for Cu was 7.2 mM, indicating that a SFORase catalyzes the reduction of not only Fe and Mo but also Cu.