Measurement of protein S-nitrosylation during cell signaling

Methods Enzymol. 2008:440:231-42. doi: 10.1016/S0076-6879(07)00814-2.

Abstract

S-Nitrosylation, the modification of a cysteine thiol by a nitric oxide (NO) group, has emerged as an important posttranslational modification of signaling proteins. An impediment to studying the regulation of cell signaling by S-nitrosylation has been the technical challenge of detecting endogenously S-nitrosylated proteins. Detection of S-nitrosylated proteins is difficult because the S-NO bond is labile and therefore can be lost or gained artifactually during sample preparation. Nevertheless, several methods have been developed to measure endogenous protein S-nitrosylation, including the biotin switch assay and the chemical reduction/chemiluminescence assay. This chapter describes these two methods and provides examples of how they have been used successfully to elucidate the role of protein S-nitrosylation in cell physiology and pathophysiology.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Physiological Phenomena*
  • Cells / chemistry
  • Cells / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Proteins / analysis*
  • Proteins / chemistry
  • Proteins / metabolism*
  • S-Nitrosothiols / analysis*
  • S-Nitrosothiols / chemistry
  • S-Nitrosothiols / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*

Substances

  • Proteins
  • S-Nitrosothiols