Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

12:08
Monitoring the Reductive and Oxidative Half-Reactions of a Flavin-Dependent Monooxygenase using Stopped-Flow Spectrophotometry
Published on: March 18, 2012
Redox pioneer: Professor Stuart A. Lipton.
1Institute for Transformative Molecular Medicine and Harrington Discovery Institute, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospital Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA. jss156@case.edu
Antioxidants & Redox Signaling
|July 3, 2013
Summary
Dr. Lipton
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Pioneering research on S-nitrosylation, a key post-translational modification regulating protein activity.
- Established S-nitrosylation of the NMDA receptor as a model for allosteric control.
- Investigated aberrant protein nitrosylation in neurodegenerative diseases.
Discussion:
- Aberrant protein nitrosylation contributes to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and ALS.
- Nitrosative stress, combined with genetic mutations, can trigger disease phenotypes.
- Nitrosative stress arises from specific protein modifications.
Key Insights:
- S-nitrosylation regulates NMDA receptor function.
- Aberrant nitrosylation is implicated in neurodegeneration.
- Targeted S-nitrosylation offers neuroprotection strategies.
Outlook:
- Developing novel neuroprotective drugs targeting the NMDA receptor.
- Understanding the interplay between nitrosative stress and genetic factors in disease.
- Further elucidating the role of S-nitrosylation in neurological disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Redox Reactions
Oxidation-reduction or redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule or atom to another. When an atom gains an electron, another atom must lose an electron, meaning oxidation and reduction must occur together. Since the redox occurs in pairs, the atom that gets oxidized is also called the reducing agent or reductant, and the atom that is reduced is also called the oxidizing agent or oxidant. A straightforward way to remember the definitions of oxidation and reduction is...
Redox Reactions
Redox reactions are vital biochemical processes that underpin energy metabolism in cells. These reactions involve the transfer of electrons between molecules, occurring in tandem as oxidation and reduction. Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons, while reduction denotes their gain. This coupling ensures the seamless flow of electrons through metabolic pathways. For example, in bacterial metabolism, glucose undergoes oxidation to carbon dioxide, while oxygen is simultaneously reduced to...
Redox Titration: Overview
Redox titration is a chemical analysis technique used to determine the concentration of an unknown substance by measuring the electron transfer in a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction. The process involves gradually adding a titrant with a known concentration of an oxidizing or reducing agent, to the analyte, the solution with an unknown concentration, until reaching the endpoint, which indicates the completion of the reaction between the two substances. Ensuring the analyte is in a single...
Redox Equilibria: Overview
A reduction-oxidation reaction is commonly called a redox reaction. In a redox reaction, electrons are transferred from one species to another rather than being shared between or among atoms. The reducing agent or reductant is the species that loses electrons and gets oxidized in the process. The species that gains electrons and gets reduced in the process is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Redox reactions are represented as two separate equations called half-reactions, where one equation...
Redox Titration: Other Oxidizing and Reducing Agents
Besides iodine, other oxidizing or reducing agents can serve as titrants in redox titrations. Common oxidizing titrants include KMnO4, cerium(IV), and K2Cr2O7. The choice of oxidizing titrants depends on factors like stability, cost, analyte strength, and reaction rate between the analyte and titrant. KMnO4 is a strong oxidizing titrant that reduces from Mn(VII) to Mn(II) in a highly acidic solution, simultaneously oxidizing the analyte to a higher oxidation state. In this case, KMnO4 acts as a...
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones
In the presence of oxidizing agents, phenols are oxidized to quinones. Quinones can be easily reduced back to phenols using mild reducing agents. The electron-donating hydroxyl group enhances the reactivity of the aromatic ring, enabling oxidation of the ring even in the absence of an α hydrogen.
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...

