The basics about nitric oxide

Although this pathway through cyclic GMP is important, this is by no means the only mechanism by which NO influences the activities of the cell. These alternative pathways depend on modification of the structure of enzymes and structural proteins in several different ways. Most of these modifications result from the actions of NO with other free radicals such as oxygen and superoxide anions to produce reactive oxidants. The oxidants modify the proteins by, among others, nitrosation and nitration of proteins of thiol groups and aromatic amino acids respectively. These changes introduce potential new subtleties to the effects on NO on cellular function which are only now being explored. Protein modifications by NO are even more evident in many inflammatory disorders and may account, at least to some extent, to the pathology seen in these conditions.