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Nitric Oxide Signaling Pathway

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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...

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Multicellular organisms employ a variety of ways for cells to communicate with each other. Gap junctions are specialized proteins that form pores between neighboring cells in animals, connecting the cytoplasm between the two, and allowing for the exchange of molecules and ions. They are found in a wide range of invertebrate and vertebrate species, mediate numerous functions including cell differentiation and development, and are associated with numerous human diseases, including cardiac and...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 30, 2026

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

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

Interaction between nitric oxide signaling and gap junctions: effects on vascular function.

R C Looft-Wilson¹, M Billaud, S R Johnstone

¹Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187, USA.

Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta

|August 13, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Nitric oxide signaling and gap junction communication are vital for vascular health. This review explores their cross-talk and interactions with connexins and pannexins in arteries.

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Area of Science:

Cardiovascular Biology
Cellular Physiology
Molecular Medicine

Background:

Nitric oxide (NO) signaling via endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and gap junction communication through connexins are critical for vascular homeostasis.
Evidence suggests significant cross-talk and direct protein-protein interactions between NO pathways and connexins in the vasculature.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the interactions between NO signaling and gap junction communication in healthy and diseased arteries.
To identify knowledge gaps regarding the mechanisms of NO-connexin interactions.
To explore potential interactions between NO signaling and pannexin channels.

Main Methods:

Literature review of existing studies on NO signaling, connexins, and pannexins in vascular function.
Analysis of evidence for cross-talk and protein-protein interactions.
Discussion of implications for vascular health and disease.

Main Results:

Established roles of NO and gap junctions in vascular regulation.
Documented evidence of functional and physical interactions between eNOS and connexins.
Emerging research on pannexin channels and their potential interplay with NO.

Conclusions:

The interplay between NO signaling and connexin/pannexin channels is crucial for vascular function and disease.
Further research is needed to elucidate the precise molecular mechanisms governing these interactions.
Targeting these pathways may offer novel therapeutic strategies for vascular diseases.