Intracellular formation of "undisruptable" dimers of inducible nitric oxide synthase
Intracellular formation of "undisruptable" dimers of inducible nitric oxide synthase
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DOI:
10.1073/pnas.2435290100
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发表时间:
2003-11-25
影响因子:
11.1
通讯作者:
Eissa, NT
中科院分区:
文献类型:
--
作者:
Kolodziejski, PJ;Rashid, MB;Eissa, NT
Overproduction of nitric oxide (NO) by inducible NO synthase (iNOS) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. NOS is active only as a homodimer. Dimerization of NOS represents a potentially critical target for therapeutic intervention. In this study, we show that intracellular NOS forms dimers that are "undisruptable" by boiling, denaturants, or reducing agents. Undisruptable (LID) dimers are clearly distinguishable from the easily dissociated dimers formed by NOS in vitro. UD dimers do not form in Escherichia coli-expressed NOS and could not be assembled in vitro, which suggests that an in vivo cellular process is required for their formation. NOS UD dimers are not affected by intracellular depletion of H4B. However, the mutation of Cys-115 (critical for zinc binding) greatly affects the formation of UD dimers. This study reveals insight into the mechanisms of in vivo iNOS dimer formation. UD dimers represent a class of NOS dimers that had not been suspected. This unanticipated finding revises our understanding of the mechanisms of iNOS dimerization and lays the groundwork for future studies aimed at modulating iNOS activity in vivo.