[The role of nitric oxide in the transcription of histone gene]
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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO•) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO• Signals in Single Cells
Published on: March 16, 2017
Abstract:
Nitric oxide (NO) is a transmitter for intracellular and extracellular signals. It is known that nitric oxide suppresses DNA replication and expression of genes responsible for cell growth and proliferation. In this study we investigated the effect of NO on histone H2B gene expression in human and murine cell lines. We have shown that treatment of cells with chemical NO donors leads to decreasing the histone H2B mRNA level. Using luciferase assay with reporter gene regulated by H2B gene promoter, we showed that NO reduced the reporter gene activity and mRNA level simultaneously. From these data we conclude that NO negatively regulates histone H2B transcription. We believe the affect of nitric acid on the transcription of histone gene plays important role for NO-induced cytostatic effects.
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