title: Subcellular localization of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in rat small intestine.
abstract: The subcellular localization of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS I, EC 1.14.13.39) was investigated in the longitudinal muscle/myenteric plexus (LM/MP) preparation of rat small intestine. The presence of NOS I, inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS II), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS III) was assessed after homogenization and low-speed centrifugation in a postnuclear supernatant by immunological detection after PAGE and Western blotting. Only NOS I was clearly present, whereas NOS II and NOS III were below detection limits. After high-speed centrifugation of the postnuclear supernatant, soluble and particulate fractions were obtained, and the presence of NOS I in these fractions was investigated by measurement of NOS I immunoreactivity and enzyme activity. We found that 90 +/- 1% of NOS I immunoreactivity and 97 +/- 1% of NOS enzyme activity were confined to the soluble fraction of the tissue. Further immunological analysis demonstrated that washing the particulate fraction revealed detectable amounts of NOS I only after concentration of the washing supernatant. Most particulate NOS I remained in the pellet and therefore represents cell organelle-associated enzyme. No NOS I immunoreactivity could be detected as a soluble protein within organelles of the cell. Particulate NOS I could in part be solubilized by Triton X-100 treatment, and the detection of Triton X-100-soluble NOS I was dependent on the antibody used. In conclusion, our results indicate that NOS I in the LM/MP preparation of rat small intestine is mainly soluble and that the particulate NOS I is partly an intrinsic membrane protein and can partly be solubilized by detergent treatment.
authors.affiliation: Heymans Institute of Pharmacology, Ghent University, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Van Geldre
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Fraeyman
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000201:enzymology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000201:enzymology; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; C496318:Nos2 protein, rat; C496316:Nos3 protein, rat