Skip to main content

Enzymology of Nitric Oxide Synthases

  • Protocol
Nitric Oxide Protocols

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 100))

Abstract

Biologically produced nitric oxide (NO) originates from oxygen and L-arginine in the reaction catalyzed by NO synthase (NOS) enzymes (NOS, EC 1.14.13.39), first reported in the late 1980s. It was soon discovered that these enzymes have different biochemical properties depending on the tissue from which they are isolated. This suggested that there are special regulatory mechanisms that match the supply of NO exactly to its function in each tissue where it is produced. Subsequent research has confirmed that indeed these enzymes are subject to sophisticated and complex regulation. It is indispensable to understand this regulation better, both to understand the physiology of NO, and to pick targets for new therapeutic strategies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Protocol
USD 49.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Griffith, O. W. and Stuehr, D. J. (1995) Nitric oxides synthases: Properties and catalytic mechanism. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 57, 707–736.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Mayer, B. (1995) Biochemistry and molecular pharmacology of nitric oxide synthases, in Nitric Oxide in the Nervous System (S. R. Vincent, ed.), Academic, New York, 21–42.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Masters, B. S. S., McMillan, K., Sheta, E. A., Nishimura, J. S., Roman, L. J., and Martasek, P. (1996) Cytochromes P450. 3. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase, a modular enzyme formed by convergent evolution: Structure studies of a cysteine thiolate-liganded heme protein that hydroxylates L-arginine to produce NO center dot as a cellular signal. FASEB J. 10, 552–558.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Marletta, M. A., Yoon, P. S., Iyengar, R., Leaf, C. D., and Wishnok, J. S. (1988) Macrophage oxidation of L-arginine to nitrite and nitrate: nitric oxide is an intermediate. Biochemistry 27, 8706–8711.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kwon, N. S., Nathan, C. F., Gilker, C., Griffith, O. W., Matthews, D. E., and Stuehr, D. J. (1990) L-citrulline production from L-arginine by macrophage nitric oxide synthase. The ureido oxygen derives from dioxygen. J. Biol. Chem. 265, 13,442–13,445.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Mayer, B., John, M., Heinzel, B., Werner, E. R., Wachter, H., Schultz, G., and Böhme, E. (1991) Brain nitric oxide synthase is a biopterin-and flavin-containing multi-functional oxido-reductase. FEBS Lett. 288, 187–191.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Stuehr, D. J., Kwon, N. S., Nathan, C. F., Griffith, O. W., Feldman, P. L., and Wiseman, J. (1991) N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of nitric oxide from L-arginine. J. Biol. Chem. 266, 6259–6263.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Klatt, P., Schmidt, K., Uray, G., and Mayer, B. (1993) Multiple catalytic functions of brain nitric oxide synthase. Biochemical characterization, cofactorrequirement and role of NG-hydroxy-L-arginine as an intermediate. J. Biol. Chem. 268, 14,781–14,787.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Feldman, P. L., Griffith, O. W., and Stuehr, D. J. (1993) The surprising life of nitric oxide. Chem. Eng. News 71, 26–38.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Marletta, M. A. (1994) Nitric oxide synthase: Aspects concerning structure and catalysis. Cell 78, 927–930.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Pufahl, R. A. and Marletta, M. A. (1993) Oxidation of NG-Hydroxy-L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase—evidence for the involvement of the heme in catalysis. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 193, 963–970.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Clement, B., Schultze-Mosgau, M. H., and Wohlers, H. (1993) CytochromeP450 dependent N-hydroxylation of a guanidine (debrisoquine), microsomal catalysed reduction and further oxidation of the N-hydroxy-guanidine metabolite to the urea derivative—similarity with the oxidation of arginine to citrulline and nitric oxide. Biochem. Pharmacol. 46, 2249–2267.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Feelisch, M. and Noack, E. A. (1987) Correlation between nitric oxide formation during degradation of organic nitrates and activation of guanylate cyclase. Eur. J. Pharmacol. 139, 19–13.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Pryor, W. A. and Squadrito, G. L. (1995) The chemistry of peroxynitrite: A product from the reaction of nitric oxide with superoxide. Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 12, L699–L722.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Obrien, A. J., Young, H. M., Povey, J. M., and Furness, J. B. (1995) Nitric oxide synthase is localized predominantly in the Golgi apparatus and cytoplasmic vesicles of vascular endothelial cells. Histochem. Cell Biol. 103, 221–225.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Sessa, W. C., Garcia-Cardena, G., Liu, J. W., Keh, A., Pollock, J. S., Bradley, J., Thiru, S., Braverman, I. M., and Desai, K. M. (1995) The Golgi association of endothelial nitric oxide synthase is necessary for the efficient synthesis of nitric oxide. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 17,641–17,644.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Garcia-Cardena, G., Oh, P., Liu, J., Schnitzer, J. S., and Sessa, W. C. (1996) Targeting of nitric oxide synthase to endothelial cell caveolae via palmitoylation: Implications for nitric oxide signaling. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 6448–6453.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Shaul, P. W., Smart, E. J., Robinson, L. J., German, Z., Yuhanna, I. S., Ying, Y. S., Anderson, R. G. W., and Michel, T. (1996) Acylation targets endothelial nitricoxide synthase to plasmalemmal caveolae. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 6518–6522.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Michel, T., Li, G. K., and Busconi, L. (1993) Phosphorylation and subcellular translocation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 6252–6256.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Robinson, L. J., Busconi, L., and Michel, T. (1995) Agonist-modulated palmitoylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 995–998.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Garthwaite, J. and Boulton, C. L. (1995) Nitric oxide signaling in the central nervous system. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 57, 683–706.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Rand, M. J. and Li, C. G. (1995) Nitric oxide as a neurotransmitter in peripheral nerves: Nature of transmitter and mechanism of transmission. Annu. Rev. Physiol. 57, 659–682.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Bredt, D. S. and Snyder, S. H. (1990) Isolation of nitric oxide synthetase, a calmodulin-requiring enzyme. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87, 682–685.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Mayer, B., John, M., and Böhme, E. (1990) Purification of a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent nitric oxide synthase from porcine cerebellum. Cofactor-role of tetrahydrobiopterin. FEBS Lett. 277, 215–219.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Schmidt, H. H. H. W., Pollock, J. S., Nakane, M., Gorsky, L. D., Förstermann, U., and Murad, F. (1991) Purification of a soluble isoform of guanylyl cyclase-activating-factor synthase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88, 365–369.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kröncke, K. D., Fehsel, K., and Kolb-Bachofen, V. (1995) Inducible nitric oxide synthase and its product nitric oxide, a small molecule with complex biological activities. Biol. Chem. Hoppe-Seyler 376, 327–343.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Kleinert, H., Euchenhofer, C., Ihrig-Biedert, I., and Förstermann, U. (1996) In murine 3T3 fibroblasts, different second messenger pathways resulting in the induction of NO synthase II (iNOS) converge in the activation of transcription factor NF-kappa B. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 6039–6044.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Cho, H. J., Xie, Q. W., Calaycay, J., Mumford, R. A., Swiderek, K. M., Lee, T. D., and Nathan, C. (1992) Calmodulin is a subunit of nitric oxide synthase from macrophages. J. Exp. Med. 176, 599–604.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Regulski, M. and Tully, T. (1995) Molecular and biochemical characterization of dNOS: A Drosophila Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent nitric oxide synthase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 9072–9076.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Lin, A. W., Chang, C. C., and McCormick, C. C. (1996) Molecular cloning and expression of an avian macrophage nitric-oxide synthase cDNA and the analysis of the genomic 5′-flanking region. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 11,911–11,919.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Bredt, D. S., Hwang, P. M., Glatt, C. E., Lowenstein, C., Reed, R. R., and Snyder, S. H. (1991) Cloned and expressed nitric oxide synthase structurally resembles cytochrome P-450 reductase. Nature 351, 714–718.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Wu, C. Q., Zhang, J. G., Abu-Soud, H., Ghosh, D. K., and Stuehr, D. J. (1996) High-level expression of mouse inducible nitric oxide synthase in Escherichia coli requires coexpression with calmodulin. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 222, 439–444.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Sheta, E. A., McMillan, K., and Masters, B. S. S. (1994) Evidence for a bidomain structure of constitutive cerebellar nitric oxide synthase. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 15,147–15,153.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Lowe, P. N., Smith, D., Stammers, D. K., Riveros-Moreno, V., Moncada, S., Charles, I., and Boyhan, A. (1996) Identification of the domains of neuronal nitric oxide synthase by limited proteolysis. Biochem. J. 314, 55–62.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Renaud, J. P., Boucher, J. L., Vadon, S., Delaforge, M., and Mansuy, D. (1993) Particular ability of liver P450s3A to catalyze the oxidation of N(omega)-hydroxyarginine to citrulline and nitrogen oxides and occurrence in NO synthases of a sequence very similar to the heme-binding sequence in P450s. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 192, 53–60.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Degtyarenko, K. N. and Archakov, A. I. (1993) Molecular evolution of P450 superfamily and P450-containing monooxygenase systems. FEBS Lett. 332, 1–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Richards, M. K. and Marletta, M. A. (1994) Characterization of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and a C415H mutant, purified from a baculovirus overexpression system. Biochemistry 33, 14,723–14,732.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Chen, P. F., Tsai, A. L., and Wu, K. K. (1994) Cysteine 184 of endothelial nitric oxide synthase is involved in heme coordination and catalytic activity. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 25,062–25,066.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Sari, M. A., Booker, S., Jaouen, M., Vadon, S., Boucher, J. L., Pompon, D., and Mansuy, D. (1996) Expression in yeast and purification of functional macrophage nitric oxide synthase. Evidence for cysteine-194 as iron proximal ligand. Biochemistry 35, 7204–7213.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Chen, P. F., Tsai, A. L., and Wu, K. K. (1995) Cysteine-99 of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS-III) is critical for tetrahydrobiopterin-dependent NOS-III stability and activity. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 215, 1119–1129.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Cho, H. J., Martin, E., Xie, Q. W., Sassa, S., and Nathan, C. (1995) Inducible nitric oxide synthase: Identification of amino acid residues essential for dimerization and binding of tetrahydrobiopterin. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 11,514–11,518.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Nishimura, J. S., Martasek, P., McMillan, K., Salerno, J. C., Liu, Q., Gross, S. S., and Masters, B. S. S. (1995) Modular structure of neuronal nitric oxide synthase: Localization of the arginine binding site and modulation by pterin. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 210, 288–294.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Fulco, A. J. (1991) P450BM-3 and other inducible bacterial P450 cytochromes: Biochemistry and regulation. Annu. Rev. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 31, 177–203.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Sevrioukova, I., Shaffer, C., Ballou, D. P., and Peterson, J. A. (1996) Equilibrium and transient state spectrophotometric studies of the mechanism of reduction of the flavoprotein domain of P450BM-3. Biochemistry 35, 7058–7068.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Hendriks, W. (1995) Nitric oxide synthase contains a discs-large homologous region (DHR) sequence motif. Biochem. J. 305, 687–688.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Brenman, J. E., Chao, D. S., Xia, H. H., Aldape, K., and Bredt, D. S. (1995) Nitric oxide synthase complexed with dystrophin and absent from skeletal muscle sarcolemma in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Cell 82, 743–752.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Brenman, J. E., Chao, D. S., Gee, S. H., Mcgee, A. W., Craven, S. E., Santillano, D. R., Wu, Z. Q., Huang, F., Xia, H. H., Peters, M. F., Froehner, S. C., and Bredt, D. S. (1996) Interaction of nitric oxide synthase with the postsynaptic density protein PSD-95 and alpha 1-syntrophin mediated by PDZ domains. Cell 84, 757–767.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Sessa, W. C., Barber, C. M., and Lynch, K. R. (1993) Mutation of N-myristoylation site converts endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase from a membrane to a cytosolic protein. Circ. Res. 72, 921–924.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Busconi, L. and Michel, T. (1993) Endothelial nitric oxide synthase—N-terminal myristoylation determines subcellular localization. J. Biol. Chem. 268, 8410–8413.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Liu, J. W., Garcia-Cardena, G., and Sessa, W. C. (1995) Biosynthesis and palmitoylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase: Mutagenesis of palmitoylation sites, cysteines-15 and/or-26, argues against depalmitoylation-induced translocation of the enzyme. Biochemistry 34, 12,333–12,340.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  51. Arnet, U. A., McMillan, A., Dinerman, J. L., Ballermann, B., and Lowenstein, C. J. (1996) Regulation of endothelial nitric-oxide synthase during hypoxia. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 15,069–15,073.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Sessa, W. C., Pritchard, K., Seyedi, N., Wang, J., and Hintze, T. H. (1994) Chronic exercise in dogs increases coronary vascular nitric oxide production and endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase gene expression. Circ. Res. 74, 349–353.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Ayajiki, K., Kindermann, M., Hecker, M., Fleming, I., and Busse, R. (1996) Intracellular pH and tyrosine phosphorylation but not calcium determine shear stressinduced nitric oxide production in native endothelial cells. Circ. Res. 78, 750–758.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Inoue, N., Ramasamy, S., Fukai, T., Nerem, R. M., and Harrison, D. G. (1996) Shear stress modulates expression of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase in human aortic endothelial gels. Circ. Res. 79, 32–37.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Baek, K. J., Thiel, B. A., Lucas, S., and Stuehr, D. J. (1993) Macrophage nitric oxide synthase subunits—purification, characterization, and role of prosthetic groups and substrate in regulating their association into a dimeric enzyme. J. Biol. Chem. 268, 21,120–21,129.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. List, B. M., Klösch, B., Völker, C., Gorren, A. C. F., Sessa, W. C., Werner, E. R., Kukovetz, W. R., Schmidt, K., and Mayer, B. (1996) Characterization of bovine endothelial nitric oxide synthase as a homodimer with down-regulated uncoupled NADPH oxidase activity: Tetrahydrobiopterin binding kinetics and role of haem in dimerization. Biochem. J. 323, 159–165.

    Google Scholar 

  57. List, B. M., Klatt, P., Werner, E. R., Schmidt, K., and Mayer, B. (1996) Overexpression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in insect cells reveals requirement of heme for tetrahydrobiopterin binding. Biochem. J. 315, 57–63.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Klatt, P., Pfeiffer, S., List, B. M., Lehner, D., Glatter, O., Werner, E. R., Schmidt, K., and Mayer, B. (1996) Characterization of heme-deficient neuronal nitric oxide synthase reveals role for heme in subunit dimerization and binding of the amino acid substrate and tetrahydrobiopterin. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 7336–7342.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Xie, Q. W., Leung, M., Fuortes, M., Sassa, S., and Nathan, C. (1996) Complementation analysis of mutants of nitric oxide synthase reveals that the active site requires two hemes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 4891–4896.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Klatt, P., Schmidt, K., Lehner, D., Glatter, O., Bächinger, H. P., and Mayer, B. (1995) Structural analysis of porcine brain nitric oxide synthase reveals novel role of tetrahydrobiopterin and L-arginine in the formation of an SDS-resistant dimer. EMBO J. 14, 3687–3695.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Rodriguez-Crespo, I., Gerber, N. C., and Ortiz DeMontellano, P. R. (1996) Endothelial nitric-oxide synthase Expression in Escherichia coli, spectroscopic characterization, and role of tetrahydrobiopterin in dimer formation. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 11,462–11,467.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Wang, J. L., Stuehr, D. J., and Rousseau, D. L. (1995) Tetrahydrobiopterin-deficient nitric oxide synthase has a modified heme environment and forms a cytochrome P-420 analogue. Biochemistry 34, 7080–7087.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Gorren, A. C. F., List, B. M., Schrammel, A., Pitters, E., Hemmens, B., Werner, E. R., Schmidt, K., and Mayer, B. (1996) Pteridine-free neuronal nitric oxide synthase: evidence for two identical highly anticooperative tetrahydrobiopterin binding sites. Biochem. 35, 16,735–16,745.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. McMillan, K. and Masters, B. S. S. (1995) Prokaryotic expression of the heme-and flavin-binding domains of rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase as distinct polypeptides: Identification of the heme-binding proximal thiolate ligand as cysteine-415. Biochemistry 34, 3686–3693.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  65. Heinzel, B., John, M., Klatt, P., Böhme, E., and Mayer, B. (1992) Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent formation of hydrogen peroxide by brain nitric oxide synthase. Biochem. J. 281, 627–630.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  66. Pou, S., Pou, W. S., Bredt, D. S., Snyder, S. H., and Rosen, G. M. (1992) Generation of superoxide by purified brain nitric oxide synthase. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 24,173–24,176.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  67. Culcasi, M., Lafon-Cazal, M., Pietri, S., and Bockaert, J. (1994) Glutamate receptors induce a burst of superoxide via activation of nitric oxide synthase in arginine-depleted neurons. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 12,589–12,593.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  68. Abu-Soud, H. M. and Stuehr, D. J. (1993) Nitric oxide synthases reveal a novel role for calmodulin in controlling electron transfer. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 10,769–10,772.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  69. Mayer, B., Klatt, P., Werner, E. R., and Schmidt, K. (1995) Kinetics and mechanism of tetrahydrobiopterin-induced oxidation of nitric oxide. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 655–659.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  70. Xia, Y., Dawson, V. L., Dawson, T. M., Snyder, S. H., and Zweier, J. L. (1996) Nitric oxide synthase generates superoxide and nitric oxide in arginine-depleted cells leading to peroxynitrite-mediated cellular injury. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 6770–6774.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  71. Huang, Z. H., Huang, P. L., Panahian, N., Dalkara, T., Fishman, M. C., and Moskowitz, M. A. (1994) Effects of cerebral ischemia in mice deficient in neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Science 265, 1883–1885.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  72. Duch, D. S. and Smith, G. K. (1991) Biosynthesis and function of tetrahydrobiopterin. J. Nutr. Biochem. 2, 411–423.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  73. Mayer, B. and Werner, E. R. (1995) In search of a function for tetrahydrobiopterin in the biosynthesis of nitric oxide. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Arch. Pharmacol. 351, 453–463.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  74. Klatt, P., Schmid, M., Leopold, E., Schmidt, K., Werner, E. R., and Mayer, B. (1994) The pteridine binding site of brain nitric oxide synthase—tetrahydrobiopterin binding kinetics, specificity, and allosteric interaction with the substrate domain. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 13,861–13,866.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  75. Werner, E. R., Pitters, E., Schmidt, K., Wachter, H., Werner-Felmayer, G., and Mayer, B. (1996) Identification of the 4-amino analogue of tetrahydrobiopterin as dihydropteridine reductase inhibitor and potent pteridine antagonist of rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase. Biochem. J. 320, 193–196.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  76. Abu-Soud, H. M., Wang, J. L., Rousseau, D. L., Fukoto, J. M., Ignarro, L. J., and Stuehr, D. J. (1995) Neuronal nitric oxide synthase self-inactivates by forming a ferrous-nitrosyl complex during aerobic catalysis. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 22,997–23,006.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  77. Abu-Soud, H. M., Mayer, B., and Stuehr, D. J. (1996) Kinetic analysis of NO and CO binding to ferric and ferrous neuronal NO synthase, in 2nd International Conference Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Nitric Oxide, Abstract A1, Los Angeles, CA, July 13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  78. Klatt, P., Heinzel, B., John, M., Kastner, M., Böhme, E., and Mayer, B. (1992) Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent cytochrome c reductase activity of brain nitric oxide synthase. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 11,374–11,378.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  79. Abu-Soud, H. M., Yoho, L. L., and Stuehr, D. J. (1994) Calmodulin controls neuronal nitric-oxide synthase by a dual mechanism—Activation of intra-and interdomain electron transfer. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 32,047–32,050.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  80. Vorherr, T., Knopfel, L., Hofmann, F., Mollner, S., Pfeuffer, T., and Carafoli, E. (1993) The calmodulin binding domain of nitric oxide synthase and adenylyl cyclase. Biochemistry 32, 6081–6088.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  81. Zhang, M. J. and Vogel, H. J. (1994) Characterization of the calmodulin-binding domain of rat cerebellar nitric oxide synthase. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 981–985.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  82. Anagli, J., Hofmann, F., Quadroni, M., Vorherr, T., and Carafoli, E. (1995) The calmodulin-binding domain of the inducible (macrophage) nitric oxide synthase. Eur. J. Biochem. 233, 701–708.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  83. Venema, R. C., Sayegh, H. S., Kent, J. D., and Harrison, D. G. (1996) Identification, characterization, and comparison of the calmodulin-binding domains of the endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 6435–6440.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  84. Zhang, M. J., Yuan, T., Aramini, J. M., and Vogel, H. J. (1995) Interaction of calmodulin with its binding domain of rat cerebellar nitric oxide synthase—A multinuclear NMR study. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 20,901–20,907.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  85. Salerno, J. C., Harris, D. E., Irizzary, K., Smith, S. M. E., McMillan, K., Martasek, P., Roman, L. J., Masters, B. S. S., Jones, C., Weissman, B. A., Liu, Q., and Gross, S. S. (1996) The inhibitory polypeptide of constitutive NOS (cNOS) is the missing control site element of the inducible isoform (iNOS), in 2nd International Conference Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Nitric Oxide, Abstract A20, Los Angeles, CA, July 13–17.

    Google Scholar 

  86. Stevens-Truss, R. and Marletta, M. A. (1995) Interaction of calmodulin with the inducible murine macrophage nitric oxide synthase. Biochemistry 34, 15,638–15,645.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  87. Charles, I. G., Chubb, A., Gill, R., Clare, J., Lowe, P. N., Holmes, L. S., Page, M., Keeling, J. G., Moncada, S., and Riveros-Moreno, V. (1993) Cloning and expression of a rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase coding sequence in a baculovirus/insect cell system. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 196, 1481–1489.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  88. Black, S. M. and Ortiz de Montellano, P. R. (1995) Characterization of rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. DNA Cell Biol. 14, 789–794.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  89. Ogura, T., Yokoyama, T., Fujisawa, H., Kurashima, Y., and Esumi, H. (1993) Structural diversity of neuronal nitric oxide synthase messenger RNA in the nervous system. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 193, 1014–1022.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  90. Nakane, M., Schmidt, H. H. H. W., Pollock, J. S., Forstermann, U., and Murad, F. (1993) Cloned human brain nitric oxide synthase is highly expressed in skeletal muscle. FEBS Lett. 316, 175–180.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  91. Sessa, W. C., Harrison, J. K., Barber, C. M., Zeng, D., Durieux, M. E., Dangelo, D. D., Lynch, K. R., and Peach, M. J. (1992) Molecular cloning and expression of a cDNA encoding endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 15,274–15,276.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  92. Nishida, K., Harrison, D. G., Navas, J. P., Fisher, A. A., Dockery, S. P., Uematsu, M., Nerem, R. M., Alexander, R. W., and Murphy, T. J. (1992) Molecular cloning and characterization of the constitutive bovine aortic endothelial cell nitric oxide synthase. J. Clin. Invest. 90, 2092–2096.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  93. Lamas, S., Marsden, P. A., Li, G. K., Tempst, P., and Michel, T. (1992) Endothelial nitric oxide synthase—molecular cloning and characterization of a distinct constitutive enzyme isoform. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 6348–6352.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  94. Janssens, S. P., Shimouchi, A., Quertermous, T., Bloch, D. B., and Bloch, K. D. (1992) Cloning and Expression of a cDNA-Encoding Human Endothelium-Derived Relaxing Factor Nitric-Oxide Synthase. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 4519–4522.

    Google Scholar 

  95. Marsden, P. A., Schappert, K. T., Chen, H. S., Flowers, M., Sundell, C. L., Wilcox, J. N., Lamas, S., and Michel, T. (1992) Molecular cloning and characterization of human endothelial nitric oxide synthase. FEBS Lett. 307, 287–293.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  96. Lowenstein, C. J., Glatt, C. S., Bredt, D. S., and Snyder, S. H. (1992) Cloned and expressed macrophage nitric oxide synthase contrasts with the brain enzyme. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 6711–6715.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  97. Lyons, C. R., Orloff, G. J., and Cunningham, J. M. (1992) Molecular cloning and functional expression of an inducible nitric oxide synthase from a murine macrophage cell line. J. Biol. Chem. 267, 6370–6374.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  98. Xie, Q. W., Cho, H. J., Calaycay, J., Mumford, R. A., Swiderek, K. M., Lee, T. D., Ding, A. H., Troso, T., and Nathan, C. (1992) Cloning and characterization of inducible nitric oxide synthase from mouse macrophages. Science 256, 225–228.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  99. Adachi, H., Iida, S., Oguchi, S., Ohshima, H., Suzuki, H., Nagasaki, K., Kawasaki, H., Sugimura, T., and Esumi, H. (1993) Molecular cloning of a cDNA encoding an inducible calmodulin-dependent nitric-oxide synthase from rat liver and its expression in COS-1 cells. Eur. J. Biochem. 217, 37–43.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  100. Galea, E., Reis, D. J., and Feinstein, D. L. (1994) Cloning and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase from rat astrocytes. J. Neurosci. Res. 37, 406–414.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  101. Geng, Y. J., Almqvist, M., and Hansson, G. K. (1994) cDNA cloning and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase from rat vascular smooth muscle cells. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1218, 421–424.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  102. Karlsen, A. E., Andersen, H. U., Vissing, H., Larsen, P. M., Fey, S. J., Cuartero, B. G., Madsen, O. D., Petersen, J. S., Mortensen, S. B., and Mandrup-Poulsen, T. (1995) Cloning and expression of cytokine-inducible nitric oxide synthase cDNA from rat islets of Langerhans. Diabetes. 44, 753–758.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  103. Geller, D. A., Lowenstein, C. J., Shapiro, R. A., Nussler, A. K., Disilvio, M., Wang, S. C., Nakayama, D. K., Simmons, R. L., Snyder, S. H., and Billiar, T. R. (1993) Molecular cloning and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase from human hepatocytes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 3491–3495.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  104. Sherman, P. A., Laubach, V. E., Reep, B. R., and Wood, E. R. (1993) Purification and cDNA sequence of an inducible nitric oxide synthase from a human tumor cell line. Biochemistry 32, 11,600–11,605.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  105. Charles, I. G., Palmer, R. M. J., Hickery, M. S., Bayliss, M. T., Chubb, A. P., Hall, V. S., Moss, D. W., and Moncada, S. (1993) Cloning, characterization, and expression of a cDNA encoding an inducible nitric oxide synthase from the human chondrocyte. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 11,419–11,423.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  106. Maier, R., Bilbe, G., Rediske, J., and Lotz, M. (1994) Inducible nitric oxide synthase from human articular chondrocytes: cDNA cloning and analysis of mRNA expression. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1208, 145–150.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  107. Chartrain, N. A., Geller, D. A., Koty, P. P., Sitrin, N. F., Nussler, A. K., Hoffman, E. P., Billiar, T. R., Hutchinson, N. I., and Mudgett, J. S. (1994) Molecular cloning, structure, and chromosomal localization of the human inducible nitric oxide synthase gene. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 6765–6772.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  108. Adler, H., Frech, B., Thony, M., Pfister, H., Peterhans, E., and Jungi, T. W. (1995) Inducible nitric oxide synthase in cattle. Differential cytokine regulation of nitric oxide synthase in bovine and murine macrophages. J. Immunol. 154, 4710–4718.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  109. McMillan, K., Bredt, D. S., Hirsch, D. J., Snyder, S. H., Clark, J. E., and Masters, B. S. S. (1992) Cloned, expressed rat cerebellar nitric oxide synthase contains stoichiometric amounts of heme, which binds carbon monoxide. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 11,141–11,145.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  110. Nakane, M., Pollock, J. S., Klinghofer, V., Basha, F., Marsden, P. A., Hokari, A., Ogura, T., Esumi, H., and Carter, G. W. (1995) Functional expression of three isoforms of human nitric oxide synthase in baculovirus-infected insect cells. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 206, 511–517.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  111. Harteneck, C., Klatt, P., Schmidt, K., and Mayer, B. (1994) Expression of rat brain nitric oxide synthase in baculovirus-infected insect cells and characterization of the purified enzyme. Biochem. J. 304, 683–686.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  112. Riveros-Moreno, V., Heffernan, B., Torres, B., Chubb, A., Charles, I., and Moncada, S. (1995) Purification to homogeneity and characterisation of rat brain recombinant nitric oxide synthase. Eur. J. Biochem. 230, 52–57.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  113. Roman, L. J., Sheta, E. A., Martasek, P., Gross, S. S., Liu, Q., and Masters, B. S. S. (1995) High-level expression of functional rat neuronal nitric oxide synthase in Escherichia coli. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 92, 8428–8432.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  114. Gerber, N. C. and Ortiz DeMontellano, P. R. (1995) Neuronal nitric oxide synthase—Expression in Escherichia coli, irreversible inhibition by phenyldiazene, and active site topology. J. Biol. Chem. 270, 17,791–17,796.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  115. Busconi, L. and Michel, T. (1995) Recombinant endothelial nitric oxide synthase: Post-translational modifications in a baculovirus expression system. Mol. Pharmacol. 47, 655–659.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  116. Seo, H. G., Fujii, J., Soejima, H., Niikawa, N., and Taniguchi, N. (1995) Heme requirement for production of active endothelial nitric oxide synthase in baculovirus-infected insect cells. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 208, 10–18.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  117. Chen, P. F., Tsai, A. L., Berka, V., and Wu, K. K. (1996) Endothelial nitricoxide synthase-Evidence for bidomain structure and successful reconstitution of catalytic activity from two separate domains generated by a baculovirus expression system. J. Biol. Chem. 271, 14,631–14,635.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  118. Martasek, P., Liu, Q., Liu, J., Roman, L. J., Gross, S. S., Sessa, W. C., and Masters, B. S. S. (1996) Characterization of bovine endothelial nitric oxide synthase expressed in E. coli. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 219, 359–365.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  119. Laubach, V. E., Garvey, E. P., and Sherman, P. A. (1996) High-level expression of human inducible nitric oxide synthase in Chinese hamster ovary cells and characterization of the purified enzyme. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 218, 802–807.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  120. Xie, Q. W., Cho, H., Kashiwabara, Y., Baum, M., Weidner, J. R., Elliston, K., Mumford, R., and Nathan, C. (1994) Carboxyl terminus of inducible nitric oxide synthase—Contribution to NADPH binding and enzymatic activity. J. Biol. Chem. 269, 28,500–28,505.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  121. Moss, D. W., Wei, X. Q., Liew, F. Y., Moncada, S., and Charles, I. G. (1995) Enzymatic characterisation of recombinant murine inducible nitric oxide synthase. Eur. J. Pharmacol. Mol. Pharmacol. Sec. 289, 41–48.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  122. Fossetta, J. D., Niu, X. D., Lunn, C. A., Zavodny, P. J., Narula, S. K., and Lundell, D. (1996) Expression of human inducible nitric oxide synthase in Escherichia coli. FEBS Lett. 379, 135–138.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1998 Humana Press Inc.

About this protocol

Cite this protocol

Hemmens, B., Mayer, B. (1998). Enzymology of Nitric Oxide Synthases. In: Titheradge, M.A. (eds) Nitric Oxide Protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 100. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-749-1:1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-749-1:1

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-89603-470-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-749-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

Publish with us

Policies and ethics