Nitric oxide and cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling in the eye

This brief review describes the components and pathways utilized in nitric oxide (NO) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling. Since the discovery of the effects of NO and cGMP on smooth muscle relaxation about 30 years ago, the field has expanded in many directions such that many, but not all, biochemical and biological effects seem to be regulated by these unique signaling molecules. While many of the effects of NO are due to activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) that can be considered the receptor for NO, cGMP, in turn, can activate a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) to phosphorylate an array of proteins. Some of the effects of cGMP can be independent of PKG and are due to effects on ion channels or cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases. Also, some of the effects of NO can be independent of sGC activation. The isoenzymes and macromolecules that participate in these signaling pathways can serve as molecular targets to identify compounds that increase or decrease their activation and thus serve as chemical leads for discovering novel drugs for a variety of diseases. Some examples are given. However, with about 90,000 publications in the field since our first reports in 1977, this brief review can only give the readers a sample of the excitement and opportunities we have found in this cell signaling system.