Carbon Monoxide and Signal Transduction Pathways

摘要: Carbon monoxide (CO) is emerging as an important signaling molecule that exerts a myriad of biological effects are only recently being uncovered. CO diatomic gas generated predominantly from heme degradation by the enzyme oxygenase. Traditionally considered “waste product” metabolism and, at high doses, lethal, clearly has diverse functions including modulation neural signals, inflammation, cell proliferation, death, and smooth muscle contractility. Interestingly, concentrations well below those would otherwise create toxic effects, beneficial in various models injury inflammation. The precise mechanisms these CO-mediated yet unknown but becoming focus intense investigations. This chapter reviews known signal transduction pathways with special emphasis on roles guanylate cyclase, mitogen-activated protein kinases, nuclear factor-κB.