Mono- and binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands in various biosystems

Abstract

It has been shown that dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands, bound with modified bovine serum albumin with high amount of thiol groups, appeared in baker yeast or in animal tissues in the presence of exogenous or endogenous nitric oxide, respectively, are represented predominantly by EPR-silent binuclear form. This form can be transformed into EPR-active mononuclear form of dinitrosyl iron complexes with an increase in pH to basic values, into EPR-active form of mononuclear iron nitrosyl complexes in case of bielectronic recovery of the binuclear form of dinitrosyl iron complexes or under the action of dithiocarbamate derivatives. The latter induced the transformation of dinitrosyl iron complexes into EPR-active mononitrosyl iron complexes with dithiocarbamates. A significant amount of binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands in living systems and identical biological activity of these complexes and endogenous nitric oxide systems allow of considering endogenous binuclear dinitrosyl iron complexes as a "working form" of endogenous nitric oxide recognized now as a universal regulator of biological processes.