title: Nitric oxide and cell proliferation.
abstract: Nitric oxide (NO*) has been proposed to be a physiological modulator of cell proliferation, able to promote in most cases cell cycle arrest. In this review I explore the molecular basis of this mechanism of action. The modulatory action of NO* on the intracellular concentration of cGMP and the machinery directly involved in the control of cell cycle progression, including the expression and activity of diverse cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases, their physiological inhibitors, and the master transcriptional regulator retinoblastoma protein, will be discussed. The role of NO* in proliferation mediated by tyrosine kinase receptors such as the epidermal growth factor receptor and downstream signalling pathways will also be considered. Finally, the involvement of NO* in proliferative processes relevant for normal development will be outlined.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas & Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain. antonio.villalobo@iib.uam.es
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villalobo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000502:physiology; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D016213:Cyclins / Q000502:physiology; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016213:Cyclins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D006152:Cyclic GMP