Gasotransmitters is a class of neurotransmitters. The molecules are distinguished from other bioactive endogenous gaseous signaling molecules based on a need to meet distinct characterization criteria. Currently, only nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide are accepted as gasotransmitters. [1] According to in vitro models, gasotransmitters, like other gaseous signaling molecules, may bind to gasoreceptors and trigger signaling in the cells. [1]
The name gasotransmitter is not intended to suggest a gaseous physical state such as infinitesimally small gas bubbles; the physical state is dissolution in complex body fluids and cytosol. [2] These particular gases share many common features in their production and function but carry on their tasks in unique ways which differ from classical signaling molecules.
The terminology and characterization criteria of “gasotransmitter” were first introduced in 2002. [3] For one gas molecule to be categorized as a gasotransmitter, all of the following criteria should be met. [4] [3]
Three candidate gasotransmitters, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide, have ironically been discarded as useless toxic gases throughout history. These molecules are a classic example of dose-dependent hormesis such that low-dose is beneficial whereas absence or excessive dosing is toxic.
The three gases have similar features and, in theory, participate in shared signaling pathways, although their actions can either be synergistic or antagonistic. [5] [6] Nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide are highly reactive with numerous molecular targets, whereas carbon monoxide is relatively stable and metabolically inert predominately limited to interacting with ferrous ion complexes within mammalian organisms. [7] The scope of biological functions are different across biological systems. [8] [9]
Gasotransmitters are under investigation in disciplines such as: biosensing, [10] [11] immunology, [12] [13] neuroscience, [14] [15] gastroenterology, [16] [17] [18] and many other fields to include pharmaceutical development initiatives. [19] [20] [21] While biomedical research has received the most attention, gasotransmitters are under investigation throughout biological systems. [22] [23] [24] [25] Many analytical tools have been developed to study gasotransmitters in vitro. [26]
The 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded for the discovery of nitric oxide (NO) as an endogenous signaling molecule. The research emerged in 1980 when NO was first known as the 'endothelium-derived relaxing factor' (EDRF). The identity of EDRF as actually being NO was revealed in 1986 which many consider to mark the beginning of the modern era of gasotransmitter research. [27]
Relative to carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide, NO is exceptional due to the fact it is a radical gas. [28] NO is highly reactive (having a lifetime of a few seconds), yet diffuses freely across membranes. These attributes make NO ideal for a transient paracrine (between adjacent cells) and autocrine (within a single cell) signaling molecule.
It is a known bioproduct in almost all types of organisms, ranging from bacteria to plants, fungi, and animal cells. [29] [30] NO is biosynthesized endogenously from L-arginine by various nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. Reduction of inorganic nitrate may also serve to make NO. Independent of NOS, an alternative pathway coined the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway, elevates NO through the sequential reduction of dietary nitrate derived from plant-based foods such as: leafy greens, such as spinach and arugula, and beetroot. [31] [32] [33] For the human body to generate NO through the nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway, the reduction of nitrate to nitrite occurs in the mouth by the oral microbiome. [34]
The production of NO is elevated in populations living at high altitudes, which helps these people avoid hypoxia by aiding in pulmonary vasculature vasodilation. The endothelium (inner lining) of blood vessels uses NO to signal the surrounding smooth muscle to relax, thus resulting in vasodilation and increasing blood flow. [35] NO contributes to vessel homeostasis by inhibiting vascular smooth muscle contraction and growth, platelet aggregation, and leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium. Humans with atherosclerosis, diabetes, or hypertension often show impaired NO pathways. [36] In the context of hypertension, the vasodilatory mechanism follows: NO acts through the stimulation of the soluble guanylate cyclase, which is a heterodimeric enzyme with subsequent formation of cyclic-GMP. Cyclic-GMP activates protein kinase G, which causes reuptake of Ca2+ and the opening of calcium-activated potassium channels. The fall in concentration of Ca2+ ensures that the myosin light-chain kinase (MLCK) can no longer phosphorylate the myosin molecule, thereby stopping the crossbridge cycle and leading to relaxation of the smooth muscle cell. [37]
NO is also generated by phagocytes (monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils) as part of the human immune response. [38] Phagocytes are armed with inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which is activated by interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) as a single signal or by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) along with a second signal. [39] [40] [41] On the other hand, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) provides a strong inhibitory signal to iNOS, whereas interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-10 provide weak inhibitory signals. In this way, the immune system may regulate the resources of phagocytes that play a role in inflammation and immune responses. [42] NO is secreted as free radicals in an immune response and is toxic to bacteria and intracellular parasites, including Leishmania [43] and malaria; [44] [45] [46] the mechanism for this includes DNA damage [47] [48] [49] and degradation of iron sulfur centers into iron ions and iron-nitrosyl compounds. [50]
Two important biological reaction mechanisms of NO are S-nitrosation of thiols, and nitrosylation of transition metal ions. S-nitrosation involves the (reversible) conversion of thiol groups, including cysteine residues in proteins, to form S-nitrosothiols (RSNOs). S-Nitrosation is a mechanism for dynamic, post-translational regulation of most or all major classes of protein. [51] The second mechanism, nitrosylation, involves the binding of NO to a transition metal ion like iron to modulate the normal enzymatic activity of an enzyme such as cytochrome P450. Nitrosylated ferrous iron is particularly stable, as the binding of the nitrosyl ligand to ferrous iron (Fe(II)) is very strong. Hemoglobin is a prominent example of a heme protein that may be modified by NO by multiple pathways. [52]
There are several mechanisms by which NO has been demonstrated to affect the biology of living cells. These include oxidation of iron-containing proteins such as ribonucleotide reductase and aconitase, activation of the soluble guanylate cyclase, ADP ribosylation of proteins, protein sulfhydryl group nitrosylation, and iron regulatory factor activation. [53] NO has been demonstrated to activate NF-κB in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, an important transcription factor in iNOS gene expression in response to inflammation. [54]
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced naturally throughout phylogenetic kingdoms. In mammalian physiology, CO is an important neurotransmitter with beneficial roles such as reducing inflammation and blood vessel relaxation. [55] [56] [57] Mammals maintain a baseline carboxyhemoglobin level even if they do not breathe any CO fumes.
In mammals, CO is produced through many enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways. The most extensively studied source is the catabolic action of heme oxygenase (HMOX) which has been estimated to account for 86% of endogenous CO production. Other contributing sources include: the microbiome, cytochrome P450 reductase, human acireductone dioxygenase, tyrosinase, lipid peroxidation, alpha-keto acids, and other oxidative mechanisms. Similarly, the velocity and catalytic activity of HMOX can be enhanced by a plethora of dietary substances and xenobiotics to increase CO production. [8]
The biomedical study of CO traces back to factitious airs in the 1790s when Thomas Beddoes, James Watt, James Lind, and many others investigated beneficial effects of hydrocarbonate (water gas) inhalation. [58] Following Solomon Snyder's first report that CO is a normal neurotransmitter in 1993, [59] [60] CO has received significant clinical attention as a biological regulator. Unlike NO and H
2S, CO is an inert molecule with remarkable chemical stability capable of diffusing through membranes to exert its effects locally and in distant tissues. [61] CO has been shown to interact with molecular targets including soluble guanylyl cyclase, mitochondrial oxidases, catalase, nitric oxide synthase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, PPAR gamma, HIF1A, NRF2, ion channels, cystathionine beta synthase, and numerous other functionalities. [62] It is widely accepted that CO primarily exerts its effects in mammals primarily through interacting with ferrous ion complexes such as the prosthetic heme moiety of hemoproteins. [7] Aside from Fe2+ interactions, CO may also interact with zinc within metalloproteinases, non-metallic histidine residues of certain ion channels, and various other metallic targets such nickel and molybdenum. [8]
Hydrogen sulfide (H
2S) has important signaling functions in mammalian physiology. [63] The gas is produced enzymatically by cystathionine beta-synthase and cystathionine gamma-lyase, endogenous non-enzymatic reactions, [64] and may also be produced by the microbiome. [65] Eventually the gas is converted to sulfite in the mitochondria by thiosulfate reductase, and the sulfite is further oxidized to thiosulfate and sulfate by sulfite oxidase. The sulfates are excreted in the urine. [66]
H
2S acts as a relaxant of smooth muscle and as a vasodilator. [67] Though both NO and H
2S have been shown to relax blood vessels, their mechanisms of action are different: while NO activates the enzyme guanylyl cyclase, H
2S activates ATP-sensitive potassium channels in smooth muscle cells. Researchers are not clear how the vessel-relaxing responsibilities are shared between NO and H
2S. However, there exists some evidence to suggest that NO does most of the vessel-relaxing work in large vessels and H
2S is responsible for similar action in smaller blood vessels. [68] H
2S deficiency can be detrimental to the vascular function after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). H
2S therapy reduces myocardial injury and reperfusion complications. [69] [70] Due to its effects similar to NO (without its potential to form peroxides by interacting with superoxide), H
2S is now recognized as potentially protecting against cardiovascular disease. [67] [71]
Recent findings suggest strong cellular crosstalk of NO and H
2S, [72] demonstrating that the vasodilatatory effects of these two gases are mutually dependent. Additionally, H
2S reacts with intracellular S-nitrosothiols to form the smallest S-nitrosothiol (HSNO), and a role of H
2S in controlling the intracellular S-nitrosothiol pool has been suggested. [73]
Some gaseous signaling molecules may be a gasotransmitter, notably methane and cyanide. [74] [75] There is ongoing controversy about the strict criteria for gasotransmitters. Some researchers have proposed use of the term small molecule signaling agent, while others have proposed to relax the criteria to include other gases, such as oxygen as an essential gasotransmitter, similar to that of essential amino acids. [76]
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the simplest carbon oxide. In coordination complexes, the carbon monoxide ligand is called carbonyl. It is a key ingredient in many processes in industrial chemistry.
Hemoglobin is a protein containing iron that facilitates the transportation of oxygen in red blood cells. Almost all vertebrates contain hemoglobin, with the sole exception of the fish family Channichthyidae. Hemoglobin in the blood carries oxygen from the respiratory organs to the other tissues of the body, where it releases the oxygen to enable aerobic respiration which powers an animal's metabolism. A healthy human has 12 to 20 grams of hemoglobin in every 100 mL of blood. Hemoglobin is a metalloprotein, a chromoprotein, and globulin.
A hemeprotein, or heme protein, is a protein that contains a heme prosthetic group. They are a very large class of metalloproteins. The heme group confers functionality, which can include oxygen carrying, oxygen reduction, electron transfer, and other processes. Heme is bound to the protein either covalently or noncovalently or both.
The enzyme cytochrome c oxidase or Complex IV is a large transmembrane protein complex found in bacteria, archaea, and the mitochondria of eukaryotes.
Heme, or haem, is a ring-shaped iron-containing molecular component of hemoglobin, which is necessary to bind oxygen in the bloodstream. It is composed of four pyrrole rings with 2 vinyl and 2 propionic acid side chains. Heme is biosynthesized in both the bone marrow and the liver.
Nitric oxide is a colorless gas with the formula NO. It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical: it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes denoted by a dot in its chemical formula. Nitric oxide is also a heteronuclear diatomic molecule, a class of molecules whose study spawned early modern theories of chemical bonding.
Carboxyhemoglobin is a stable complex of carbon monoxide and hemoglobin (Hb) that forms in red blood cells upon contact with carbon monoxide. Carboxyhemoglobin is often mistaken for the compound formed by the combination of carbon dioxide (carboxyl) and hemoglobin, which is actually carbaminohemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin terminology emerged when carbon monoxide was known by its historic name, "carbonic oxide", and evolved through Germanic and British English etymological influences; the preferred IUPAC nomenclature is carbonylhemoglobin.
Nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) are a family of enzymes catalyzing the production of nitric oxide (NO) from L-arginine. NO is an important cellular signaling molecule. It helps modulate vascular tone, insulin secretion, airway tone, and peristalsis, and is involved in angiogenesis and neural development. It may function as a retrograde neurotransmitter. Nitric oxide is mediated in mammals by the calcium-calmodulin controlled isoenzymes eNOS and nNOS. The inducible isoform, iNOS, involved in immune response, binds calmodulin at physiologically relevant concentrations, and produces NO as an immune defense mechanism, as NO is a free radical with an unpaired electron. It is the proximate cause of septic shock and may function in autoimmune disease.
Heme oxygenase, or haem oxygenase, is an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of heme to produce biliverdin, ferrous iron, and carbon monoxide.
A gas sensor protein is a type of protein that detects and responds to specific gaseous signaling molecules, playing a role in various biological processes and environmental sensing mechanisms.
Nitric oxide dioxygenase (EC 1.14.12.17) is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of nitric oxide (NO) to nitrate (NO−
3) . The net reaction for the reaction catalyzed by nitric oxide dioxygenase is shown below:
Biological functions of nitric oxide are roles that nitric oxide plays within biology.
Gaseous mediators are chemicals that are produced in small amounts by some cells of the mammalian body and have a number of biological signalling functions. There are three so-far-identified gaseous mediator molecules: nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and carbon monoxide (CO).
S-Nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) is an endogenous S-nitrosothiol (SNO) that plays a critical role in nitric oxide (NO) signaling and is a source of bioavailable NO. NO coexists in cells with SNOs that serve as endogenous NO carriers and donors. SNOs spontaneously release NO at different rates and can be powerful terminators of free radical chain propagation reactions, by reacting directly with ROO• radicals, yielding nitro derivatives as end products. NO is generated intracellularly by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) family of enzymes: nNOS, eNOS and iNOS while the in vivo source of many of the SNOs is unknown. In oxygenated buffers, however, formation of SNOs is due to oxidation of NO to dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3). Some evidence suggests that both exogenous NO and endogenously derived NO from nitric oxide synthases can react with glutathione to form GSNO.
Nitric Oxide is a peer-reviewed scientific journal and official journal of the Nitric Oxide Society. The journal covers the broad field of nitric oxide and other similar gaseous signaling molecules such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide. Published research includes basic and clinical topics such as cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, pathology, genetics, physiology, pharmacology, and disease processes.
Carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) are chemical compounds designed to release controlled amounts of carbon monoxide (CO). CORMs are being developed as potential therapeutic agents to locally deliver CO to cells and tissues, thus overcoming limitations of CO gas inhalation protocols.
Gaseous signaling molecules are gaseous molecules that are either synthesized internally (endogenously) in the organism, tissue or cell or are received by the organism, tissue or cell from outside and that are used to transmit chemical signals which induce certain physiological or biochemical changes in the organism, tissue or cell. The term is applied to, for example, oxygen, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, methane, hydrogen, ethylene, etc.
Hydrogen sulfide is produced in small amounts by some cells of the mammalian body and has a number of biological signaling functions. Only two other such gases are currently known: nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO).
Jonathan Solomon Stamler is an English-born American physician and scientist. He is known for his discovery of protein S-nitrosylation, the addition of a nitric oxide (NO) group to cysteine residues in proteins, as a ubiquitous cellular signal to regulate enzymatic activity and other key protein functions in bacteria, plants and animals, and particularly in transporting NO on cysteines in hemoglobin as the third gas in the respiratory cycle.
Csaba Szabo, a physician and pharmacologist, is the Head of the Pharmacology Section and President of the Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology (OMI) of the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. The Public Library of Science Magazine, PLOS Biology, recognized Szabo in 2019 as one of the most cited researchers in the world.