Molecular bases for the anti-parasitic effect of NO (Review).
Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged as an important cytotoxic and cytostatic effector for a number of pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. When the microbicidal effect of NO occurs, the NO-mediated S-nitrosylation of cysteine containing proteins (e.g., cysteine proteases) appears to be a common and widespread mechanism. This overview concerns parasitic cysteine proteases as NO targets, providing molecular bases for the parasiticidal effect of NO.
Colasanti
Marco
M
Dipartimento di Biologia, Università Roma Tre, I-00146 Rome, Italy. colasant@bio.uniroma2.it
Gradoni
Luigi
L
Mattu
Marco
M
Persichini
Tiziana
T
Salvati
Luca
L
Venturini
Giorgio
G
Ascenzi
Paolo
P
D000818:Animals; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000378:metabolism; D010271:Parasites / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015800:Protozoan Proteins
D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C063214:cruzipain; D003545:Cysteine