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NO, thiols and disulfides
Author(s) -
Girard Pierre,
Potier Pierre
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)81645-g
Subject(s) - nitrosation , thiol , nitric oxide , chemistry , reactivity (psychology) , molecule , combinatorial chemistry , redox , chemical reaction , organic chemistry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
The chemical nature of the messenger molecule, nitric oxide (NO), and especially its reactivity towards thiol groups and disuifides, could explain, at least partly, its intervention in so many different biological processes. NO can be regarded as the smallest molecule suitable for electron transport in biological systems. The S‐nitrosation reaction and its reverse reaction represent the most convenient general way to store, to transport and finally to release NO. Nitric oxide is also particularly convenient for playing a role in interconversions of thiol groups and disulfides in chain radical or oxidation‐reduction processes, and to be subsequently engaged in complex sequences of reactions accounting for different biological situations.