title: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species: friends or foes?
abstract: Chemical and physiological functions of molecular oxygen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) and existing equilibrium between pools of pro-oxidants and anti-oxidants providing steady state ROS level vital for normal mitochondrial and cell functioning are reviewed. The presence of intracellular oxygen and ROS sensors is postulated and few candidates for this role are suggested. Possible involvement of ROS in the process of fragmentation of mitochondrial reticulum made of long mitochondrial filaments serving in the cell as "electric cables", as well as the role of ROS in apoptosis and programmed mitochondrial destruction (mitoptosis) are reviewed. The critical role of ROS in destructive processes under ischemia/reoxygenation and ischemic preconditioning is discussed. Mitochondrial permeability transition gets special consideration as a possible component of the apoptotic cascade, resulting in excessive "ROS-induced ROS release".
authors.affiliation: Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia. zorov@genebee.msu.ru
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Zorov
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Bannikova
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Belousov
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Vyssokikh
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Zorova
authors.forename: N K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Isaev
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Krasnikov
authors.forename: E Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Plotnikov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D026361:Reactive Nitrogen Species; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D010100:Oxygen