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The Science Seminar Series: September 17, 2009
Biological Role and Detection of Nitric Oxide and Activity of
Guanylyl Cyclase
Dr. Yakov Woldman
Department of Chemistry
Powell HallTime: 4:00 -5:00pm
In this presentation author discusses the role of nitric oxide in
various physiological processes and methods of its detection. The
challenge in the detection of nitric oxide originates form extremely low
(sub-nanomolar)physiological concentrations. The method suggested allows
for measuring nitric oxide production using its natural target - soluble
guanylyl cyclase (sGC). Guanylyl cyclase catalyzes the conversion of
guanosine triphopshate into guanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate and
inorganic pyrophosphate. The rate of the reaction increases about 200
times upon NO binding with sGC, providing thereby sensor for nitric
oxide. The luminescent detection of the above reaction was accomplished
by converting inorganic pyrophosphate into ATP with the help of enzyme
ATP sulfurylase; ATP, in its turn, was detected in chemiluminescent
luciferin-luciferase reaction. The developed luminescent approach allows
for measuring the rates of NO generation as low as 1 nM/min.