Parkinson's Disease Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Parkinson's Disease, including details on symptoms, treatment, genetics, medication.

Nitric oxide synthase regulation and diversity: implications in Parkinson's disease.

Kavya R, Saluja R, Singh S, Dikshit M

Pharmacy Group, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani 333031, India.

Nitric oxide (NO) is a janus faced chemical messenger, which, in the recent years, has been the focus of neurobiologists for its involvement in neurodegenerative disorders in particular, Parkinson's disease (PD). Nitric oxide synthase, the key enzyme involved in NO production exists in three known isoforms. The neuronal and inducible isoforms have been implicated in the pathogenesis of PD. These enzymes are subject to complex expressional and functional regulation involving mRNA diversity, phosphorylation and protein interaction. In the recent years, mRNA diversity and polymorphisms have been identified in the NOS isoforms. Some of these genetic variations have been associated with PD, indicating an etiological role for the NOS genes. This review mainly focuses on the NOS genes - their differential regulation and genetic heterogeneity, highlighting their significance in the pathobiology of PD.

Published 3 November 2006 in Nitric Oxide, 15(4): 280-94.
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