Regulation and mechanism of nitric oxide synthase isozymes

一氧化氮（NO）是哺乳动物体内分布最广泛的信号分子之一，对控制体内几乎所有细胞和器官的功能都很重要。由于NO在调节多种器官功能方面发挥着多种生理作用，因此NO的产生缺陷也参与了许多病理生理状态，包括动脉粥样硬化、高血压、中风和糖尿病血管并发症。一氧化氮在体内由一氧化氮合酶（NOS）合成。NOS酶是迄今发现的最复杂的酶之一。NOS酶的精确控制具有潜在的治疗价值，因为NO具有多种生物学功能，也是几种严重疾病状态的关键部分。在我们能够充分利用这种靶酶的治疗潜力之前，需要回答关于NOS的大量基本问题。我们的长期研究目标是了解NOS酶的调控和机制，以及NO在细胞功能，信号传导和分化中的作用。

Nitric oxide (NO) is one of the most widespread signaling molecules in mammals and important in controlling nearly every cellular and organ function in the body. Since NO plays multiple physiological roles in regulating varied and diverse organ functions, defects in NO production are also involved in a number of pathophysiological states including atherosclerosis, hypertension, stroke and vascular complications in diabetes. NO is synthesized in the body by enzymes named nitric oxide synthases or NOS. NOS enzymes are some of the most complex enzymes ever discovered. Precise control of NOS enzymes is of potential therapeutic value since NO has diverse biological functions and is also a key part of several serious disease states. A significant number of fundamental questions about NOS need to be answered before we can take full advantage of the therapeutic potential of this target enzyme. The long-term goals of our research program are to understand the regulation and mechanism of NOS enzymes and the role of NO in cell function, signalling and differentiation.