title: Dual role of plasma membrane electron transport systems in defense.
abstract: Because oxidative stress is one of the main sources of severe cellular damage, cells have different defense weapons against reactive oxygen species. Ubiquitous plasma membrane redox systems play a role in defense against oxidative stress damage. On the other hand, a tightly controlled and localized production of reactive oxygen species by a plasma membrane NADPH oxidase can be used as a potent microbicidal weapon. This dual, prooxidant and antioxidant role of plasma membrane electron transport systems in defense is studied and discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298-0614, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: del Castillo-Olivares
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Núñez de Castro
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Medina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000473:pathology; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004579:Electron Transport; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006105:Granulomatous Disease, Chronic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins