Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent formation of hydrogen peroxide by brain nitric oxide synthase.
L-Arginine-derived nitric oxide (NO) acts as an inter- and intra-cellular signal molecule in many mammalian tissues including brain, where it is formed by a flavin-containing Ca2+/calmodulin-requiring NO synthase with NADPH, tetrahydrobiopterin (H4biopterin) and molecular oxygen as cofactors. We found that purified brain NO synthase acted as a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent NADPH:oxygen oxidoreductase, catalysing the formation of hydrogen peroxide at suboptimal concentrations of L-arginine or H4biopterin, which inhibited the hydrogen peroxide formation with half-maximal effects at 11 microM and 0.3 microM respectively. Half-maximal rates of L-citrulline formation were observed at closely similar concentrations of these compounds, indicating that the NO synthase-catalysed oxygen activation was coupled to the synthesis of L-citrulline and NO in the presence of L-arginine and H4biopterin. N omega-Nitro-L-arginine, its methyl ester and N omega-monomethyl-L-arginine inhibited the synthesis of L-citrulline from L-arginine (100 microM) with half-maximal effects at 0.74 microM, 2.8 microM and 15 microM respectively. The N omega-nitro compounds also blocked the substrate-independent generation of hydrogen peroxide, whereas N omega-monomethyl-L-arginine did not affect this reaction. According to these results, activation of brain NO synthase by Ca2+ at subphysiological levels of intracellular L-arginine or H4biopterin may result in the formation of reactive oxygen species instead of NO, and N omega-nitro-substituted L-arginine analogues represent useful tools to effectively block NO synthase-catalysed oxygen activation.
Institut für Pharmakologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany.
B
B
Heinzel
M
M
John
P
P
Klatt
E
E
Böhme
B
B
Mayer
D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002956:Citrulline / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009249:NADP / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D019335:Nitroarginine; D013552:Swine; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine
D002147:Calmodulin; D019335:Nitroarginine; D001708:Biopterins; D019323:omega-N-Methylarginine; D002956:Citrulline; D009249:NADP; D001120:Arginine; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D000594:Amino Acid Oxidoreductases; C003402:sapropterin; D002118:Calcium