Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.

Nitric oxide, produced by the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) from L-arginine is an important second messenger molecule in the central nervous system: It influences the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and plays an important role in long-term potentiation, long-term depression and ne...

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Main Authors: Alexandra Simon, Susanne Karbach, Alice Habermeier, Ellen I Closs
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3706577?pdf=render
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author Alexandra Simon
Susanne Karbach
Alice Habermeier
Ellen I Closs
author_facet Alexandra Simon
Susanne Karbach
Alice Habermeier
Ellen I Closs
author_sort Alexandra Simon
collection DOAJ
description Nitric oxide, produced by the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) from L-arginine is an important second messenger molecule in the central nervous system: It influences the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and plays an important role in long-term potentiation, long-term depression and neuroendocrine secretion. However, under certain pathological conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, stroke and multiple sclerosis, excessive NO production can lead to tissue damage. It is thus desirable to control NO production in these situations. So far, little is known about the substrate supply to human nNOS as a determinant of its activity. Measuring bioactive NO via cGMP formation in reporter cells, we demonstrate here that nNOS in both, human A673 neuroepithelioma and TGW-nu-I neuroblastoma cells can be fast and efficiently nourished by extracellular arginine that enters the cells via membrane transporters (pool I that is freely exchangeable with the extracellular space). When this pool was depleted, NO synthesis was partially sustained by intracellular arginine sources not freely exchangeable with the extracellular space (pool II). Protein breakdown made up by far the largest part of pool II in both cell types. In contrast, citrulline to arginine conversion maintained NO synthesis only in TGW-nu-I neuroblastoma, but not A673 neuroepithelioma cells. Histidine mimicked the effect of protease inhibitors causing an almost complete nNOS inhibition in cells incubated additionally in lysine that depletes the exchangeable arginine pool. Our results identify new ways to modulate nNOS activity by modifying its substrate supply.
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spelling doaj.art-9e0f6546f42c42bba63ec1ccc48a85252022-12-22T01:58:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0187e6770710.1371/journal.pone.0067707Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.Alexandra SimonSusanne KarbachAlice HabermeierEllen I ClossNitric oxide, produced by the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) from L-arginine is an important second messenger molecule in the central nervous system: It influences the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and plays an important role in long-term potentiation, long-term depression and neuroendocrine secretion. However, under certain pathological conditions such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease, stroke and multiple sclerosis, excessive NO production can lead to tissue damage. It is thus desirable to control NO production in these situations. So far, little is known about the substrate supply to human nNOS as a determinant of its activity. Measuring bioactive NO via cGMP formation in reporter cells, we demonstrate here that nNOS in both, human A673 neuroepithelioma and TGW-nu-I neuroblastoma cells can be fast and efficiently nourished by extracellular arginine that enters the cells via membrane transporters (pool I that is freely exchangeable with the extracellular space). When this pool was depleted, NO synthesis was partially sustained by intracellular arginine sources not freely exchangeable with the extracellular space (pool II). Protein breakdown made up by far the largest part of pool II in both cell types. In contrast, citrulline to arginine conversion maintained NO synthesis only in TGW-nu-I neuroblastoma, but not A673 neuroepithelioma cells. Histidine mimicked the effect of protease inhibitors causing an almost complete nNOS inhibition in cells incubated additionally in lysine that depletes the exchangeable arginine pool. Our results identify new ways to modulate nNOS activity by modifying its substrate supply.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3706577?pdf=render
spellingShingle Alexandra Simon
Susanne Karbach
Alice Habermeier
Ellen I Closs
Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.
PLoS ONE
title Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.
title_full Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.
title_fullStr Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.
title_full_unstemmed Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.
title_short Decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase.
title_sort decoding the substrate supply to human neuronal nitric oxide synthase
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3706577?pdf=render
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