Localization of NOS-like protein in guard cells of Vicia faba L. and its possible function

Using the immuno-fluorescence and immuno-gold electron microscope technology, localization of ni- tric oxide synthase (NOS)-like proteins was determined in guard cells of Vicia faba L. NOS is mainly localized in nucleus, cytoplasm, chloroplast, mitochondria and the cell wall of guard cells. Scorch and exogenous JA can enhance the level of nitric oxide (NO) and increase NOS activity in both leaf and epidermis, and the changing pattern of NOS activity was consistent with the change of NO. NOS in- hibitor, L-NAME, inhibited JA-induced NO generation. From the results, we presumed that NO genera- tion from NOS pathway is the main pathway in the stress and JA responses. The pharmacological ex- periment showed that increasing the Ca2 at a suitable concentration promoted leaf NOS activity and the NO level, indicating that NOS activity together with the distribution of NO is Ca2 -dependent. NOS and NO are possibly involved in the regulation of stomatal movement thus playing an important role in plant stress responses.     

Nitric oxide regulates the heart by spatial confinement of nitric oxide synthase isoforms

Subcellular localization of nitric oxide (NO) synthases with effector molecules is an important regulatory mechanism for NO signalling. In the heart, NO inhibits L-type Ca2+ channels but stimulates sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release, leading to variable effects on myocardial contractility. Here we show that spatial confinement of specific NO synthase isoforms regulates this process. Endothelial NO synthase (NOS3) localizes to caveolae, where compartmentalization with beta-adrenergic receptors and L-type Ca2+ channels allows NO to inhibit beta-adrenergic-induced inotropy. Neuronal NO synthase (NOS1), however, is targeted to cardiac SR. NO stimulation of SR Ca2+ release via the ryanodine receptor (RyR) in vitro, suggests that NOS1 has an opposite, facilitative effect on contractility. We demonstrate that NOS1-deficient mice have suppressed inotropic response, whereas NOS3-deficient mice have enhanced contractility, owing to corresponding changes in SR Ca2+ release. Both NOS1-/- and NOS3-/- mice develop age-related hypertrophy, although only NOS3-/- mice are hypertensive. NOS1/3-/- double knockout mice have suppressed beta-adrenergic responses and an additive phenotype of marked ventricular remodelling. Thus, NOS1 and NOS3 mediate independent, and in some cases opposite, effects on cardiac structure and function.     

Nitric oxide involved in signal transduction of Jasmonic acid-induced stomatal closure of Vicia faba L.

Nitric oxide (NO) and Jasmonic acid (JA) are two key signaling molecules involved in many and diverse biological pathways in plants. Growing evidence suggested that NO signaling interacts with JA signaling. In this work, Our experiment showed that NO exists in guard cell of Vicia faba L., and NO is involved in signal transduction of JAinduced stomata closuring: ( i ) JA enhances NO synthesis in guard cell; ( ii ) both JA and NO induced stomatal closure, and had dose response to their effects; ( iU ) there are synergetic correlation between JA and lower NO concentration in regulation of stomatal movement; (iV) JA-induced stomatal closure was largely prevented by 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-l-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO), a specific NO scavenger. An inhibitor of NO synthase (NOS) in mammalian cells, N^G-nitro-L-Arg-methyl eater (L-NAME) also inhibits plant NOS, repressing JA-induced NO generation and JA-induced stomatal closure. We presumed that NO mainly comes from NOS after JA treatment.     

S-glutathionylation uncouples eNOS and regulates its cellular and vascular function

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is critical in the regulation of vascular function, and can generate both nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O(2)(?-)), which are key mediators of cellular signalling. In the presence of Ca(2+)/calmodulin, eNOS produces NO, endothelial-derived relaxing factor, from l-arginine (l-Arg) by means of electron transfer from NADPH through a flavin containing reductase domain to oxygen bound at the haem of an oxygenase domain, which also contains binding sites for tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) and l-Arg. In the absence of BH(4), NO synthesis is abrogated and instead O(2)(?-) is generated. While NOS dysfunction occurs in diseases with redox stress, BH(4) repletion only partly restores NOS activity and NOS-dependent vasodilation. This suggests that there is an as yet unidentified redox-regulated mechanism controlling NOS function. Protein thiols can undergo S-glutathionylation, a reversible protein modification involved in cellular signalling and adaptation. Under oxidative stress, S-glutathionylation occurs through thiol-disulphide exchange with oxidized glutathione or reaction of oxidant-induced protein thiyl radicals with reduced glutathione. Cysteine residues are critical for the maintenance of eNOS function; we therefore speculated that oxidative stress could alter eNOS activity through S-glutathionylation. Here we show that S-glutathionylation of eNOS reversibly decreases NOS activity with an increase in O(2)(?-) generation primarily from the reductase, in which two highly conserved cysteine residues are identified as sites of S-glutathionylation and found to be critical for redox-regulation of eNOS function. We show that eNOS S-glutathionylation in endothelial cells, with loss of NO and gain of O(2)(?-) generation, is associated with impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation. In hypertensive vessels, eNOS S-glutathionylation is increased with impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilation that is restored by thiol-specific reducing agents, which reverse this S-glutathionylation. Thus, S-glutathionylation of eNOS is a pivotal switch providing redox regulation of cellular signalling, endothelial function and vascular tone.     

Involvement of nitric oxide in the signal transduction of salicylic acid regulating stomatal movement

The effects and the relationship between sali-cylic acid(SA)and nitric oxide(NO) on Vicia faba L.stomatal movement were studied.The results here showed that exogenous SA and NO induced stomatal closure,100μmol/L SA induced a rapid and striking NO increase in the cytosol of guard cells.This phenomenon was largely prevented by 2000μmol/L 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-l-oxyl-3-oxide(PTIO),a specific NO scavenger,and 25μmol/L N^G-nitro-L-Arg-methyl eater (L-NAME),an inhibitor of NO synthase(NOS) in mammalian cells that also inhibits plant NOS.In addition,SA-induced stomatal closure was largely prevented by PTIO and L-NAME.These results provide evidence that guard cells generate NO in response to SA via NOS-like activity,and that such NO production is required for full stomatal closure in response to SA.H-(1,2,4)-oxadiazole-[4,3-α]quinoxalin-l-one(ODQ),an inhibitor of guanylate cyclase,and nicotinamide,an antagonist of cADPR production,inhibited the effects of SA-and NO-induced stomatal closure.It suggests that both cGMP and cADPR might mediate the signal transduction of SA and NO-induced stomatal closure.     

The nitrate/proton antiporter AtCLCa mediates nitrate accumulation in plant vacuoles

Nitrate, the major nitrogen source for most plants, is widely used as a fertilizer and as a result has become a predominant freshwater pollutant. Plants need nitrate for growth and store most of it in the central vacuole. Some members of the chloride channel (CLC) protein family, such as the torpedo-fish ClC-0 and mammalian ClC-1, are anion channels, whereas the bacterial ClC-ec1 and mammalian ClC-4 and ClC-5 have recently been characterized as Cl-/H+ exchangers with unknown cellular functions. Plant members of the CLC family are proposed to be anion channels involved in nitrate homeostasis; however, direct evidence for anion transport mediated by a plant CLC is still lacking. Here we show that Arabidopsis thaliana CLCa (AtCLCa) is localized to an intracellular membrane, the tonoplast of the plant vacuole, which is amenable to electrophysiological studies, and we provide direct evidence for its anion transport ability. We demonstrate that AtCLCa is able to accumulate specifically nitrate in the vacuole and behaves as a NO3-/H+ exchanger. For the first time, to our knowledge, the transport activity of a plant CLC is revealed, the antiporter mechanism of a CLC protein is investigated in a native membrane system, and this property is directly connected with its physiological role.     

运动训练对女子篮球运动员血清 NO、NOS活性影响的研究

通过观察6周运动训练中女大学生运动员血清NO水平、NOS活性的变化,了解篮球训练对女子运动员血清NO含量和NOS活性的影响,结果表明:实验组血清NO含量、NOS活性明显高于对照组,运动训练能够提高运动员血清NOS活性,增加NO的合成,有利于提高运动技能和保护心血管内皮的功能。     

The innate immune response to bacterial flagellin is mediated by Toll-like receptor 5

The innate immune system recognizes pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that are expressed on infectious agents, but not on the host. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize PAMPs and mediate the production of cytokines necessary for the development of effective immunity. Flagellin, a principal component of bacterial flagella, is a virulence factor that is recognized by the innate immune system in organisms as diverse as flies, plants and mammals. Here we report that mammalian TLR5 recognizes bacterial flagellin from both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and that activation of the receptor mobilizes the nuclear factor NF-kappaB and stimulates tumour necrosis factor-alpha production. TLR5-stimulating activity was purified from Listeria monocytogenes culture supernatants and identified as flagellin by tandem mass spectrometry. Expression of L. monocytogenes flagellin in non-flagellated Escherichia coli conferred on the bacterium the ability to activate TLR5, whereas deletion of the flagellin genes from Salmonella typhimurium abrogated TLR5-stimulating activity. All known TLRs signal through the adaptor protein MyD88. Mice challenged with bacterial flagellin rapidly produced systemic interleukin-6, whereas MyD88-null mice did not respond to flagellin. Our data suggest that TLR5, a member of the evolutionarily conserved Toll-like receptor family, has evolved to permit mammals specifically to detect flagellated bacterial pathogens.     

晚期糖基化终产物对大鼠阴茎海绵体组织中一氧化氮含量及其合成酶活性的影响

通过观察大鼠阴茎海绵体组织中晚期糖基化终产物(AGEs)含量的变化对一氧化氮(NO)含量及其合成酶(NOS)活性的影响,探讨AGEs在糖尿病性勃起功能障碍(DMED)发生发展中的作用.成年雄性SD大鼠60只,随机取40只用于制作糖尿病模型,造模成功的大鼠分为两组:糖尿病(DM)组和糖尿病 氨基胍给药(DM AG)组;另20只大鼠亦分为两组:正常对照(CONTROL)组和正常对照 氨基胍给药(CONTROL AG)组;氨基胍(AG)给药组大鼠造模后即在其饮水中按1 g/L剂量加入AG.饲养8周后取各组大鼠阴茎海绵体组织,匀浆后检测AGE-肽(AGE-P)含量、NO含量及各型NOS酶活性.DM组阴茎海绵体组织中AGE-P含量、NO含量及诱导型NOS(iNOS)活性明显高于CONTROL组(P＜0.05),而结构型NOS(cNOS)活性则明显低于后者(P＜0.05),而AG则明显减少了DM大鼠阴茎海绵体组织中AGE-P、NO的生成和减弱了iNOS活性,增强了cNOS活性;CONTROL组与CONTROL AG组间比较在各项指标上则无明显差异(P＞0.05).糖尿病状态下AGEs可以引起大鼠阴茎海绵体组织中cNOS活性减弱,iNOS活性增强,过量的NO生成,可能引起阴茎组织细胞的凋亡,导致阴茎勃起功能的损伤.     

Peroxynitrite reductase activity of bacterial peroxiredoxins

Nitric oxide (NO) is present in soil and air, and is produced by bacteria, animals and plants. Superoxide (O2-) arises in all organisms inhabiting aerobic environments. Thus, many organisms are likely to encounter peroxynitrite (OONO-), a product of NO and O2- that forms at near diffusion-limited rates, and rapidly decomposes upon protonation through isomerization to nitrate (NO3-; ref. 1) while generating hydroxyl radical (*OH) and nitrogen dioxide radical (*NO2) (refs 2, 3), both more reactive than peroxynitrite's precursors. The oxidative, inflammatory, mutagenic and cytotoxic potential (ref. 4) of peroxynitrite contrasts with the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and tissue-protective properties ascribed to NO itself. Thus, the ability of cells to cope with peroxynitrite is central in determining the biological consequences of NO production. We considered whether cells might be equipped with enzymes to detoxify peroxynitrite. Peroxiredoxins have been identified in most genomes sequenced, but their functions are only partly understood. Here we show that the peroxiredoxin alkylhydroperoxide reductase subunit C (AhpC) from Salmonella typhimurium catalytically detoxifies peroxynitrite to nitrite fast enough to forestall the oxidation of bystander molecules such as DNA. Results are similar with peroxiredoxins from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori. Thus, peroxynitrite reductase activity may be widespread among bacterial genera.     

海洛因依赖者血清一氧化氮合酶的检测及研究

目的 :了解武汉地区海洛因依赖者 NOS活性情况 ,探讨 NOS、NO与药物依赖的关系。方法 :采用最新 NOS测定试剂盒 ,以分光光度法于自动生化分析仪检测。结果 :海洛因依赖者血清 NOS活性有着显著性升高 (P〈0 .0 1) ,并与滥用时间呈正相关。结论 :NO、NOS在药物依赖机制中发挥着重要作用     

Production of 'hybrid' antibiotics by genetic engineering

The recent development of molecular cloning systems in Streptomyces has made possible the isolation of biosynthetic genes for some of the many antibiotics produced by members of this important genus of bacteria. Such clones can now be used to test the idea that novel antibiotics could arise through the transfer of biosynthetic genes between streptomycetes producing different antibiotics. The likelihood of a 'hybrid' compound being produced must depend on the substrate specificities of the biosynthetic enzymes, about which little is known. In attempts to demonstrate hybrid antibiotic production, we therefore began with strains producing different members of the same chemical class of compounds in order to maximize the chance of success. Here we report the production of novel compounds by gene transfer between strains producing the isochromanequinone antibiotics actinorhodin, granaticin and medermycin. These experiments were made possible by the recent cloning of the whole set of genes for the biosynthetic pathway of actinorhodin from Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) (ref. 8). We believe that this represents the first report of the production of hybrid antibiotics by genetic engineering.     

大鼠急性脑缺血时一氧化氮作用机制分析

目的 :研究大脑急性缺血及再灌注后 NO、NOS的变化。方法 :采用最新 NO、NOS测定试剂盒 ,以分光光度法于生化分析仪检测。结果 :脑缺血后 2 0 min及再灌注 1h内呈持续性显著增高 (P<0 .0 1) ;再灌注 1～ 48h内虽有所降低 ,但仍维持在一个相当高的水平。结论 :NO、NOS参与了脑缺血再灌注的损伤过程。     

下丘脑室旁核NOS／NO系统对心血管活动的调节（综述）

下丘脑室旁核（PVN）是重要的心血管活动调节中枢。PVN分布有一氧化氮（NOS）神经元,合成并释放一氧化氮（NO）。NO通过抑制各级交感神经中枢,以及影响神经内分泌活动,对心血管活动进行调节。     

大鼠急性局灶性脑缺血再灌注NO含量和NOS活性的变化及7-NI对其影响的实验研究

目的探讨一氧化氮和神经元型一氧化氮合酶是否参与了急性脑缺血再灌注的发病机制.方法采用栓线法复制大鼠大脑中动脉阻塞模型,观察血清和脑组织NO含量和NOS活性的变化及神经元型一氧化氮合酶抑制剂7-硝基吲唑对再灌注期间两者的影响.结果脑缺血45 min再灌注2 h后血清及脑组织中NOS活性及NO含量增加,再灌注8 h达高峰.7-NI能显著抑制再灌注期间血清及脑组织中NOS的活性及NO的含量.结论 NO和nNOS在急性局灶性脑缺血再灌注的过程中起着重要的作用.     

Inhibition of shoot branching by new terpenoid plant hormones

Shoot branching is a major determinant of plant architecture and is highly regulated by endogenous and environmental cues. Two classes of hormones, auxin and cytokinin, have long been known to have an important involvement in controlling shoot branching. Previous studies using a series of mutants with enhanced shoot branching suggested the existence of a third class of hormone(s) that is derived from carotenoids, but its chemical identity has been unknown. Here we show that levels of strigolactones, a group of terpenoid lactones, are significantly reduced in some of the branching mutants. Furthermore, application of strigolactones inhibits shoot branching in these mutants. Strigolactones were previously found in root exudates acting as communication chemicals with parasitic weeds and symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Thus, we propose that strigolactones act as a new hormone class-or their biosynthetic precursors-in regulating above-ground plant architecture, and also have a function in underground communication with other neighbouring organisms.     

Interaction between endogenous nitric oxide and carbon monoxide in the pathogenesis of hypoxic pulmonary hypertension

Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, an important pathophysiological process in the development of a vari-ety of clinical cardiac and pulmonary diseases, has critical influence on the proceeding and prognosis of the dis- eases[1]. It is important to clarify the pathogenesis of the diseases. The discoveries of endogenous gas signal mole-cules, nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO), have been moving the research of hypoxic pulmonary hyper-tension to a very new phase. Our foregoing experiments …     

NO and H2O2 induced by Verticillium dahliae toxins and its influence on the expression of GST gene in cotton suspension cells

Nitric oxide （NO） and hydrogen peroxide （H2O2） have been shown to be important signaling molecules that participate in the regulation of several physiological processes. In particular, they have significant role in plant resistance to pathogens by contributing to induction defense genes. Here, whether NO and H2O2 participate in the resistance responses against Verticillium dahliae toxins （VD-toxins） and their effects on the expression of GSTgene are studied. The results reveal that NO and H2O2 are produced as part of a complex network of signals that respond to VD-toxins and may converge to function both synergistically and independently by inducing resistant responses. GSTgene is potentially involved in the resistance mechanism in the cotton suspension cells. NO induces the expression of GSTgene independently of H2O2. H2O2 may be a more potent signal in the resistance responses against VD-toxins.