title: Protein S-nitrosylation: role for nitric oxide signaling in neuronal death.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the signaling mechanisms mediated by nitric oxide (NO) is through S-nitrosylation, the reversible redox-based modification of cysteine residues, on target proteins that regulate a myriad of physiological and pathophysiological processes. In particular, an increasing number of studies have identified important roles for S-nitrosylation in regulating cell death.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present review focuses on different targets and functional consequences associated with nitric oxide and protein S-nitrosylation during neuronal cell death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  S-Nitrosylation exhibits double-edged effects dependent on the levels, spatiotemporal distribution, and origins of NO in the brain: in general Snitrosylation resulting from the basal low level of NO in cells exerts anti-cell death effects, whereas S-nitrosylation elicited by induced NO upon stressed conditions is implicated in pro-cell death effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dysregulated protein S-nitrosylation is implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases including degenerative diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). Elucidating specific targets of S-nitrosylation as well as their regulatory mechanisms may aid in the development of therapeutic intervention in a wide range of brain diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. nshahan1@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Neelam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shahani
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D016923:Cell Death; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003545:Cysteine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015538:Nitrosation; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D009569:Nitric Oxide; D020169:Caspases; D003545:Cysteine