title: High-pressure studies of the reaction mechanism of nitric-oxide synthase.
abstract: Nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) generates nitric oxide from l-arginine in two reaction cycles with N(omega)-hydroxy-l-arginine as an obligate intermediate. Although much progress has been made in recent years in the elucidation of the reaction mechanism of NOS, many questions remain to be answered. The use of low temperature has been instrumental in the revelation of the mechanism of NO synthesis, particularly regarding the role of the cofactor 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobopterin (BH4). High-pressure studies may be expected to be similarly useful, but have been very few so far. In this short review, we depict the present state of knowledge about the reaction mechanism of NO synthesis, and the role(s) BH4 plays in it. This exposition is followed by a summary of the results obtained thus far in high-pressure studies and of the conclusions that can be drawn from them.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, A-8010 Graz, Austria. antonius.gorren@uni-graz.at
authors.forename: Antonius C F
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Gorren
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sørlie
authors.forename: K Kristoffer
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mayer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000737:chemistry; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D002384:Catalysis; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D001708:Biopterins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; C003402:sapropterin