title: Zinc finger proteins as molecular targets for nitric oxide-mediated gene regulation.
abstract: A multiplicity of biological functions have been ascribed to nitric oxide (NO). It plays a significant role as a signal as well as a cytotoxic effector molecule. NO may, however, also play regulatory and/or modulatory roles in biology. A growing body of evidence suggests that posttranslational modifications of transcription factors serve a regulating role on gene transcription, particularly after changes of the redox state of the cell. Zinc fingers are the most prevalent transcription factor DNA-binding motif. As NO is able to S-nitrosate thiols of zinc-sulfur clusters leading to reversible disruption of zinc finger structures, this provides a molecular mechanism to regulate the transcription of genes. Current knowledge about effects of NO on the cellular zinc homeostasis and on the gene-regulating activity of zinc finger transcription factors is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Research Centre, Medical Department of the Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany. kroencke@uni-duesseldorf.de
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Kröncke
mesh_terms: D000332:Aerobiosis; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D019556:COS Cells; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006706:Homeostasis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010100:Oxygen / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D013439:Sulfhydryl Reagents; D014157:Transcription Factors; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D004247:DNA; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D015032:Zinc; D010100:Oxygen