Computational Insights on the Competing Effects of Nitric Oxide in Regulating Apoptosis

Despite the establishment of the important role of nitric oxide (NO) on apoptosis, a molecular- level understanding of the origin of its dichotomous pro- and anti-apoptotic effects has been elusive. We propose a new mathematical model for simulating the effects of nitric oxide (NO) on apoptosis. The new model integrates mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathways with NO-related reactions, to gain insights into the regulatory effect of the reactive NO species N2O3, non-heme iron nitrosyl species (FeLnNO), and peroxynitrite (ONOO−). The biochemical pathways of apoptosis coupled with NO-related reactions are described by ordinary differential equations using mass-action kinetics. In the absence of NO, the model predicts either cell survival or apoptosis (a bistable behavior) with shifts in the onset time of apoptotic response depending on the strength of extracellular stimuli. Computations demonstrate that the relative concentrations of anti- and pro-apoptotic reactive NO species, and their interplay with glutathione, determine the net anti- or pro-apoptotic effects at long time points. Interestingly, transient effects on apoptosis are also observed in these simulations, the duration of which may reach up to hours, despite the eventual convergence to an anti-apoptotic state. Our computations point to the importance of precise timing of NO production and external stimulation in determining the eventual pro- or anti-apoptotic role of NO

Diffusion and reaction of nitric oxide in suspension cell cultures.

A reaction-diffusion model was developed to predict the fate of nitric oxide (NO) released by cells of the immune system. The model was used to analyze data obtained previously using macrophages attached to microcarrier beads suspended in a stirred vessel. Activated macrophages synthesize NO, which is oxidized in the culture medium by molecular oxygen and superoxide (O2-, also released by the cells), yielding mainly nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) as the respective end products. In the analysis the reactor was divided into a "stagnant film" with position-dependent concentrations adjacent to a representative carrier bead and a well-mixed bulk solution. It was found that the concentration of NO was relatively uniform in the film. In contrast, essentially all of the O2- was calculated to be consumed within approximately 2 microm of the cell surfaces, due to its reaction with NO to yield peroxynitrite. The decomposition of peroxynitrite caused its concentration to fall to nearly zero over a distance of approximately 30 microm from the cells. Although the film regions (which had an effective thickness of 63 microm) comprised just 2% of the reactor volume and were predicted to account for only 6% of the NO2- formation under control conditions, they were calculated to be responsible for 99% of the NO3- formation. Superoxide dismutase in the medium (at 3.2 microM) was predicted to lower the ratio of NO3- to NO2- formation rates from near unity to <0.5, in reasonable agreement with the data. The NO3-/NO2- ratio was predicted to vary exponentially with the ratio of O2- to NO release rates from the cells. Recently reported reactions involving CO2 and bicarbonate were found to have important effects on the concentrations of peroxynitrite and nitrous anhydride, two of the compounds that have been implicated in NO cytotoxicity and mutagenesis

Site-specific and redox-controlled S-nitrosation of thioredoxin

Protein S-nitrosation on cysteine residues has emerged as an important posttranslational modification in mammalian cells. Previous studies have suggested a primary role for thioredoxin (Trx) in controlling protein S-nitrosation reactions. Human Trx contains five conserved Cys, including two redox-active catalytic Cys (Cys32 and Cys35) and three non-active-site Cys (Cys62, Cys69, and Cys73), all of which have been reported as targets of S-nitrosation. Prior reports have studied thermodynamic end points of nitrosation reactions; however, the kinetics of Trx nitrosation has not previously been investigated. Using the transnitrosation agent, S-nitrosoglutathione, a kinetic analysis of the selectivity and redox dependence of Trx nitrosation at physiologically relevant concentrations and times was performed, utilizing a mass spectrometry-based method for the direct analysis of the nitrosated Trx. Reduced Trx (rTrx) was nitrosated 2.7-times faster than oxidized Trx (oTrx), and rTrx was nitrosated selectively on Cys62, whereas oTrx was nitrosated only on Cys73. These sites of nitrosation were confirmed at the peptide level using a novel modification of the biotin-switch technique called the reductive switch. These results suggest separate signaling pathways for Trx-SNO under different cellular redox states.American Cancer Society (Postdoctoral Fellowship)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH CA26731)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Environmental Health Sciences (ES002109)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH GM080272

Thioredoxin is required for S-nitrosation of procaspase-3 and the inhibition of apoptosis in Jurkat cells

S-nitrosation is a posttranslational, oxidative addition of NO to cysteine residues of proteins that has been proposed as a cGMP-independent signaling pathway [Hess DT, Matsumoto A, Kim SO, Marshall HE, Stamler JS (2005) Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 6:150–166]. A paradox of S-nitrosation is that only a small set of reactive cysteines are modified in vivo despite the promiscuous reactivity NO exhibits with thiols, precluding the reaction of free NO as the primary mechanism of S-nitrosation. Here we show that a specific transnitrosation reaction between procaspase-3 and thioredoxin-1 (Trx) occurs in cultured human T cells and prevents apoptosis. Trx participation in catalyzing transnitrosation reactions in cells may be general because this protein has numerous protein–protein interactions and plays a key role in cellular redox homeostasis [Powis G, Montfort WR (2001) Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 41:261–295], nitrosothiol content in cells [Haendeler J, Hoffmann J, Tischler V, Berk BC, Zeiher AM, Dimmeler S (2002) Nat Cell Biol 4:743–749], and antiapoptotic signaling

Mechanism-Based Triarylphosphine-Ester Probes for Capture of Endogenous RSNOs

Nitrosothiols (RSNOs) have been proposed as important intermediates in nitric oxide (NO[superscript •]) metabolism, storage, and transport as well as mediators in numerous NO-signaling pathways. RSNO levels are finely regulated, and dysregulation is associated with the etiology of several pathologies. Current methods for RSNO quantification depend on indirect assays that limit their overall specificity and reliability. Recent developments of phosphine-based chemical probes constitute a promising approach for the direct detection of RSNOs. We report here results from a detailed mechanistic and kinetic study for trapping RSNOs by three distinct phosphine probes, including structural identification of novel intermediates and stability studies under physiological conditions. We further show that a triarylphosphine-thiophenyl ester can be used in the absolute quantification of endogenous GSNO in several cancer cell lines, while retaining the elements of the SNO functional group, using an LC–MS-based assay. Finally, we demonstrate that a common product ion (m/z = 309.0), derived from phosphine–RSNO adducts, can be used for the detection of other low-molecular weight nitrosothiols (LMW-RSNOs) in biological samples. Collectively, these findings establish a platform for the phosphine ligation-based, specific and direct detection of RSNOs in biological samples, a powerful tool for expanding the knowledge of the biology and chemistry of NO[superscript •]-mediated phenomena.National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (CA26731)Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Environmental Health Sciences (ES002109)Agilent Technologie