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Related Concept Videos

Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway01:28

Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway

Nitric oxide (NO), an inorganic gas, acts as a potent second messenger in most animal and plant tissues. NO diffuses out of the cells that produce it and enters the neighboring cells to generate a downstream response. NO synthase (NOS) catalyzes NO production by the deamination of the amino acid arginine. There are three isoforms of NOS. Endothelial cells have endothelial NOS (eNOS), nerve and muscle cells have neuronal NOS (nNOS), and macrophages produce inducible NOS (iNOS) upon exposure to...
2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO201:20

2° Amines to N-Nitrosamines: Reaction with NaNO2

Secondary amines react with nitrous acid to form N-nitrosamines, as depicted in Figure 1. Nitrous acid, a weak and unstable acid, is formed in situ from an aqueous solution of sodium nitrite and strong acids, such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, in cold conditions. In the presence of an acid, the nitrous acid gets protonated. The subsequent loss of water results in the formation of the electrophile known as nitrosonium ion.
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation01:22

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation

Nitrogen is an essential element in biological systems, forming a crucial component of proteins, nucleic acids, and other cellular constituents. Many bacteria and archaea acquire nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO₃⁻) or ammonia (NH₃), which are then assimilated into biomolecules through specific enzymatic pathways.Assimilatory Nitrate ReductionWhen nitrate enters the cell, it undergoes a two-step reduction process known as assimilatory nitrate reduction. Initially, the enzyme nitrate reductase...
Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle01:26

Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is a complex biogeochemical process critical to maintaining the balance of nitrogenous compounds in ecosystems. This cycle involves multiple microbial-mediated transformations through which nitrogen changes oxidation states, supporting essential ecological functions and contributing to plant and microbial growth.Nitrogen Fixation and AmmonificationNitrogen fixation initiates the cycle by converting inert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable ammonia (NH₃), a process...
Bacterial Signaling01:30

Bacterial Signaling

Bacterial signaling can occur within bacteria (intracellular) or between bacteria (intercellular). At times, a group of bacteria behaves like a community. To achieve this, they engage in quorum sensing, the perception of higher cell density that causes changes in gene expression. Quorum sensing involves both extracellular and intracellular signaling. The signaling cascade starts with a molecule called an autoinducer (AI). Individual bacteria produce AIs that move out of the bacterial cell...
Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing01:28

Gene Regulation in Microbial Communities: Quorum Sensing

Quorum sensing is a mechanism of bacterial communication that enables coordinated gene expression in response to changes in population density. This facilitates collective behaviors that enhance survival, resource acquisition, and ecological adaptation. This process relies on small signaling molecules called autoinducers that accumulate as bacterial populations grow. When a critical threshold concentration of autoinducers is reached, bacterial cells collectively modify gene expression,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO•) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO• Signals in Single Cells
08:32

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

Bacterial nitric oxide synthases.

Brian R Crane1, Jawahar Sudhamsu, Bhumit A Patel

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA. bc69@cornell.edu

Annual Review of Biochemistry
|April 8, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Prokaryotic nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) share similarities with mammalian NOS (mNOS), offering insights into enzyme structure and function. Bacterial NOSs reveal novel roles for nitric oxide (NO) in processes like toxin biosynthesis and radiation damage recovery.

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Chemiluminescence-based Assays for Detection of Nitric Oxide and its Derivatives from Autoxidation and Nitrosated Compounds
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Chemiluminescence-based Assays for Detection of Nitric Oxide and its Derivatives from Autoxidation and Nitrosated Compounds

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Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity
11:28

Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity

Published on: June 18, 2012

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Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Application of Genetically Encoded Fluorescent Nitric Oxide (NO•) Probes, the geNOps, for Real-time Imaging of NO• Signals in Single Cells
08:32

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

Chemiluminescence-based Assays for Detection of Nitric Oxide and its Derivatives from Autoxidation and Nitrosated Compounds
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Chemiluminescence-based Assays for Detection of Nitric Oxide and its Derivatives from Autoxidation and Nitrosated Compounds

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Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity
11:28

Analytical Techniques for Assaying Nitric Oxide Bioactivity

Published on: June 18, 2012

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are crucial metalloproteins synthesizing the signaling molecule nitric oxide (NO).
  • Recent discoveries include prokaryotic NOSs homologous to mammalian counterparts, expanding the study of this enzyme family.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize prokaryotic NOSs, comparing their enzymology and biological functions with mammalian NOS (mNOS).
  • To elucidate the structural and catalytic mechanisms of the NOS family using bacterial enzymes.
  • To uncover novel biological roles of NO mediated by bacterial NOSs.

Main Methods:

  • Enzymatic characterization of prokaryotic NOSs.
  • Spectroscopic studies, particularly of thermostable bacterial NOSs.
  • Comparative analysis of bacterial and mammalian NOS (mNOS) structures and functions.

Main Results:

  • Bacterial NOSs exhibit similarities to mNOS, with some differences in cofactor utilization and redox partners.
  • Spectroscopic studies identified key oxyheme intermediates in the L-arginine oxidation pathway.
  • New biological functions for NO were discovered, including roles in toxin biosynthesis and radiation damage recovery.

Conclusions:

  • Prokaryotic NOSs provide valuable models for understanding the broader NOS enzyme family.
  • Bacterial NOSs have unveiled previously unknown functions of nitric oxide in microbial physiology.
  • Further research into bacterial NOSs can illuminate diverse biological roles of NO.