title: Mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase.
abstract: Mitochondria produce nitric oxide (NO) through a Ca(2+)-sensitive mitochondrial NO synthase (mtNOS). The NO produced by mtNOS regulates mitochondrial oxygen consumption and transmembrane potential via a reversible reaction with cytochrome c oxidase. The reaction of this NO with superoxide anion yields peroxynitrite, which irreversibly modifies susceptible targets within mitochondria and induces oxidative and/or nitrative stress. In this article, we review the current understanding of the roles of mtNOS as a crucial biochemical regulator of mitochondrial functions and attempt to reconcile apparent discrepancies in the literature on mtNOS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV 25704, USA. ghafourifar@marshall.edu
authors.forename: Pedram
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ghafourifar
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cadenas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010101:Oxygen Consumption
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase