title: How superoxide radical damages the cell.
abstract: Superoxide is considered to be poorly reactive, and cell damage has been attributed to HO. generated via the Haber-Weiss reaction. The function of O2- in this reaction is only to reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+. In vivo, however, superoxide could not out-compete cellular reductants such as glutathione, NADPH, and ascorbate, which makes the observed O2- toxicity rather puzzling. Little attention has been paid to the idea that, irrespective of its poor chemical reactivity, superoxide might be capable of interacting directly with specific intracellular targets; and that even the Haber-Weiss reaction might be a consequence of such direct interactions. This paper summarizes latest data that support the concept of such a mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, P.O. Box 24923, Safat 13110, Kuwait.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benov
mesh_terms: D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000378:metabolism; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013481:Superoxides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D013481:Superoxides; D013455:Sulfur; D007501:Iron; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase