Expression of a NOS-III-like protein in human astroglial cell culture.
Evidence for the presence of a type-III nitric oxide synthase-like protein (NOS-III-like protein) in astroglial cells is reported. The mRNA of a NOS-III-like protein is constitutively expressed in human astrocytoma T67 cells, taken as an astroglial model. The nucleotide sequence of the PCR product (422 bp) shares more than 99% identity with the cDNA (from 1588 to 2009) of the human endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS-III). The molecular mass of the astroglial NOS-III-like protein is about 140 kDa, as observed for human NOS-III. Moreover, the astroglial NOS-III-like protein is constitutively tyrosine-phosphorylated and associated with caveolin-1. The astroglial NOS-III-like protein is apparently inactive, as reported for phosphorylated human NOS-III associated with caveolin-1.
Colasanti
M
M
Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tre', Viale Marconi 446, Rome, I-00146, Italy. colasant@bio.uniroma3.it
Persichini
T
T
Fabrizi
C
C
Cavalieri
E
E
Venturini
G
G
Ascenzi
P
P
Lauro
G M
GM
Suzuki
H
H
D001253:Astrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000201:enzymology; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
C495540:CAV1 protein, human; D051242:Caveolin 1; D022461:Caveolins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C496314:NOS3 protein, human; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III