Red blood cells prevent inhibition of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction by nitrite in isolated, perfused rat lungs

Nitrite reduction to nitric oxide (NO) may be potentiated by a nitrite reductase activity of deoxyHb and contribute to systemic hypoxic vasodilation. The effect of nitrite on the pulmonary circulation has not been well characterized. We explored the effect of nitrite on hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (HPV) and the role of the red blood cell (RBC) in nitrite reduction and nitrite-mediated vasodilation. As to method, isolated rat lungs were perfused with buffer, or buffer with RBCs, and subjected to repeated hypoxic challenges, with or without nitrite. As a result, in buffer-perfused lungs, HPV was reduced at nitrite concentrations of 7 muM and above. Nitrite inhibition of HPV was prevented by excess free Hb and RBCs, suggesting that vasodilation was mediated by free NO. Nitrite-inhibition of HPV was not potentiated by mild acidosis (pH = 7.2) or xanthine oxidase activity. RBCs at 15% but not 1% hematocrit prevented inhibition of HPV by nitrite (maximum nitrite concentration of approximately 35 muM) independent of perfusate Po(2). Degradation of nitrite was accelerated by hypoxia in the presence of RBCs but not during buffer perfusion. In conclusion, low micromolar concentrations of nitrite inhibit HPV in buffer-perfused lungs and when RBC concentration is subphysiological. This effect is lost when RBC concentration approaches physiological levels, despite enhanced nitrite degradation in the presence of RBCs. These data suggest that, although deoxyHb may generate NO from nitrite, insufficient NO escapes the RBC to cause vasodilation in the pulmonary circulation under the dynamic conditions of blood flow through the lungs and that RBCs are net scavengers of NO.     

Nitrite reductase of Escherichia coli specific for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Kemp, John D. (University of California, Los Angeles), and Daniel E. Atkinson. Nitrite reductase of Escherichia coli specific for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. J. Bacteriol. 92:628-634. 1966.-A nitrite reductase specific for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH(2)) appears to be responsible for in vivo nitrite reduction by Escherichia coli strain Bn. In extracts, the reduction product is ammonium, and the ratio of NADH(2) oxidized to nitrite reduced or to ammonium produced is 3. The Michaelis constant for nitrite is 10 mum. The enzyme is induced by nitrite, and the ability of intact cells to reduce nitrite parallels the level of NADH(2)-specific nitrite reductase activity demonstrable in cell-free preparations. Crude extracts of strain Bn will also reduce hydroxylamine, but not nitrate or sulfite, at the expense of NADH(2). Kinetic observations indicate that hydroxylamine and nitrite may both be reduced at the same active site. The high apparent Michaelis constant for hydroxylamine (1.5 mm), however, seems to exclude hydroxylamine as an intermediate in nitrite reduction. In vitro activity is enhanced by preincubation with nitrite, and decreased by preincubation with NADH(2).     

Influence of Volatile Fatty Acids on Nitrite Accumulation by a Pseudomonas stutzeri Strain Isolated from a Denitrifying Fluidized Bed Reactor

Intermediate nitrite accumulation during denitrification by Pseudomonas stutzeri isolated from a denitrifying fluidized bed reactor was examined in the presence of different volatile fatty acids. Nitrite accumulated when acetate or propionate served as the carbon and electron source but did not accumulate in the presence of butyrate, valerate, or caproate. Nitrite accumulation in the presence of acetate was caused by differences in the rates of nitrate and nitrite reduction and, in addition, by competition between nitrate and nitrite reduction pathways for electrons. Incubation of the cells with butyrate resulted in a slower nitrate reduction rate and a faster nitrite reduction rate than incubation with acetate. Whereas nitrate inhibited the nitrite reduction rate in the presence of acetate, no such inhibition was found in butyrate-supplemented cells. Cytochromes b and c were found to mediate electron transport during nitrate reduction by the cells. Cytochrome c was reduced via a different pathway when nitrite-reducing cells were incubated with acetate than when they were incubated with butyrate. Furthermore, addition of antimycin A to nitrite-reducing cells resulted in partial inhibition of electron transport to cytochrome c in acetate-supplemented cells but not in butyrate-supplemented cells. On the basis of these findings, we propose that differences in intermediate nitrite accumulation are caused by differences in electron flow to nitrate and nitrite reductases during oxidation of either acetate or butyrate.     

15N tracer studies on the reduction of nitrite by the purified dissimilatory nitrite reductase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Evidence for direct production of N2O without free NO as an intermediate

Nitrite reductase (cytochrome c,d1) was purified from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In the presence of the reducing system, ascorbate-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylphenyl-enediamine, which alone had no ability to reduce nitrite or NO at pH 7.5, the enzyme catalyzed the reduction of nitrite to NO and N2O as major and minor products, respectively, as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The rate of reduction of NO to N2O was considerably lower than the rate of reduction of nitrite to N2O and might be zero. The N2O produced in a system containing [15N]nitrite and natural NO was more highly enriched in 15N than was the NO pool and, in this regard, closely resembled the enrichment of the nitrite pool. The amount of 14N in the NO pool changed little, if any, as the result of enzymatic processes. For the enzyme, free NO seems not to be an intermediate between nitrite and N2O, just as was found by this laboratory for certain intact denitrifying bacteria. The results are consistent with reduction of nitrite to enzyme-bound NO, which can partition between release and further reduction.     

Characteristics of Nitrate Reduction in a Mutant of the Blue-Green Alga Agmenellum quadruplicatum

Characteristics of nitrate reduction in terms of nitrite production in an N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-induced mutant of the blue-green alga Agmenellum quadruplicatum are described. Following induction of nitrate reduction a linear rate of nitrite production proportional to cell concentration was observed. Rate of nitrite production and growth rate showed similar responses to pH, temperature, and light intensity. If required, only trace amounts of carbon dioxide were necessary for nitrite production. Atmospheres of oxygen or nitrogen inhibited production of nitrite. In addition, a low but constant rate of nitrite production was observed in the dark. Nitrite production by mutant AQ-6 was studied in terms of photosynthesis. As nitrite production proceeded, rate of photosynthesis declined. Ultraviolet irradiation and 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1, 1-dimethylurea poisoning did not prevent nitrite production. The action spectrum of nitrite production was chlorophyll a-like.     

Nitrite reduction by a mixed culture under conditions relevant to shortcut biological nitrogen removal

Dissimilative reduction of nitrite by nitrite-acclimated cellswas investigated in a batch reactor under various environmental conditions that can beencountered in shortcut biological nitrogen removal (SBNR: ammonia to nitrite andnitrite to nitrogen gas). The maximum specific nitrite reduction rate was as much as 4.3 times faster than the rate of nitrate reduction when individually tested, but the reaction was inhibited in the presence of nitrate when the initial nitrate concentration was greater than approximately 25 mg-N/l or the initialNO ₃ ^- N/NO ₂ ^- N ratio was larger than 0.5. Nitrite reduction was also inhibited by nitrite itself when theconcentration was higher than that to which the cells had been acclimated. Therefore, it was desirable to avoid excessively high nitrite and nitrate concentrations in a denitrification reactor. Nitrite reduction, however, was not affected by an alkaline pH (in the range of 7–9) or a high concentration of FA (in the range of 16–39 mg/l), which can be common in SBNR processes. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) requirement for nitrite reduction was approximately 22–38% lower than that for nitrate reduction, demonstrating that the SBNR process can be economical. The specific consumption,measured as the ratio of COD consumed to nitrogen removed, was affected by the availability of COD and the physiological state of the cells. The ratio increased when the cells grew rapidly and were storing carbon and electrons.     

Nitrite, a new substrate for nitrogenase

We have examined the reactivity of the purified component proteins of Azotobacter vinelandii nitrogenase (Av1 and Av2) toward nitrate and nitrite. Nitrate has no effect on H2 evolution or C2H2 reduction by nitrogenase and thus is neither a substrate nor an inhibitor. Nitrite dramatically inhibits H2 evolution. This inhibition has two components, one irreversible and one reversible upon addition of CO. The irreversible inhibition is due to nitrite inactivation of the Fe protein. The rate of this inactivation is greatly enhanced by addition of MgATP, suggesting the [4Fe-4S] cluster is the site of nitrite attack. The reversible inhibition does not represent an inhibition of electron flow but rather a diversion of electrons away from H2 evolution and into the six-electron reduction of nitrite to ammonia. Thus, nitrogenase functions as a nitrite reductase.     

The Release of Nitrite from Barley Roots in Response to Metabolic Inhibitors, Uncoupling Agents, and Anoxia

When excised sterile barley roots, from plants which had beengrown in the presence of nitrate, were placed under low oxygentensions, nitrite was released into the external solution. Themaximum leakage of nitrite occurred under completely anaerobicconditions. Nitrite was also released from barley roots underaerobic conditions when uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation(DNP, CCCP¹, pentachlorophenol) or certain simple organic acidswere supplied. Inhibitors of the Krebs cycle, or of respiratoryelectron transport, were much less effective in causing theloss of nitrite, possibly because these compounds did not ingeneral inhibit root respiration severely. Nitrite release, in response to any of the above treatments,was accompanied by an accumulation of nitrite within the tissue.It was concluded that an increase in membrane permeability,and a decrease in ATP synthesis, were contributory causes ofthis phenomenon, although neither could explain the experimentalobservations completely. There was however no evidence thatthe pentose phosphate pathway, which is regarded as the sourceof reducing power for nitrite reduction, was inhibited underconditions which favoured nitrite release.     

Nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Exposure of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (mean weight, 55.72 ± 4.30 g), to two sublethal NO₂–N concentrations was studied for 24 and 48 h in a static test. In nitrite exposure tests, the percentages of methemoglobin, external nitrite, plasma nitrite, hemoglobin and hematocrit were assessed. Nitrite exposure in the range of 0.50 and 1.38 mg l⁻¹ NO₂–N caused an increase in methemoglobin levels; however, methemoglobin percentages ranging from 16% to 42% represented a mild methemoglobinemia. Levels of methemoglobin were unrelated to environmental and plasmatic nitrite concentrations. The nitrite concentration in the blood did not seem to be linked to time of exposure. Nitrite exposure in Nile tilapia was associated with a marked reduction in hemoglobin and hematocrit.     

Kinetics of denitrification using sulphur compounds: effects of S/N ratio, endogenous and exogenous compounds

The influence of different sulphur to nitrogen (S/N) ratios on the specific autotrophic denitrification activity was studied in batch experiments using thiosulphate and nitrate as substrates. Transitory accumulations of nitrite were observed for assays with S/N ratios of 3.70 and 6.67 g/g, probably due to the higher specific reduction rate of nitrate compared to that of nitrite. Nitrite was the main end product when S/N ratios of 1.16 and 2.44 g/g were tested. The effects of endogenous (NO(3)(-),NO(2)(-),S(2)O(3)(2-)and SO(4)(2-)) and exogenous compounds (acetate and NaCl) on the specific denitrifying activity of the sludge were tested. Nitrite and sulphate did exert clear inhibitory effects over the process while thiosulphate, acetate and NaCl did not have strong effects at the concentrations tested. Similar experiments also showed that sulphur was not a suitable electron donor for these microorganisms, but sulphide was used successfully.     

Correlation between anammox activity and microscale distribution of nitrite in a subtropical mangrove sediment

The distribution of anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) in nature has been addressed by only a few environmental studies, and our understanding of how anammox bacteria compete for substrates in natural environments is therefore limited. In this study, we measure the potential anammox rates in sediment from four locations in a subtropical tidal river system. Porewater profiles of NO(x)(-) (NO2- plus NO3-) and NO2- were measured with microscale biosensors, and the availability of NO2- was compared with the potential for anammox activity. The potential rate of anammox increased with increasing distance from the mouth of the river and correlated strongly with the production of nitrite in the sediment and with the average concentration or total pool of nitrite in the suboxic sediment layer. Nitrite accumulated both from nitrification and from NO(x)(-) reduction, though NO(x)(-) reduction was shown to have the greatest impact on the availability of nitrite in the suboxic sediment layer. This finding suggests that denitrification, though using NO2- as a substrate, also provides a substrate for the anammox process, which has been suggested in previous studies where microscale NO2- profiles were not measured.     

Nitrite Reduction in Reconstituted and Whole Spinach Chloroplasts during Carbon Dioxide Reduction

Nitrite reduction in either whole, isolated spinach chloroplasts (Spinacia oleracea L.) or in reconstituted spinach chloroplasts is stimulated by a short period of photosynthetic CO₂ fixation in the light prior to nitrite addition. With reconstituted chloroplasts, a similar stimulation can be obtained in nitrite reduction without CO₂ fixation by the addition of dihydroxyacetone phosphate or fructose 6-phosphate. Specific intermediate metabolites of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle may have a regulatory role in nitrite reduction in chloroplasts in the light.     

Reduced nicotinamide–adenine dinucleotide–nitrite reductase from Azotobacter chroococcum

1. The assimilatory nitrite reductase of the N(2)-fixing bacterium Azotobacter chroococcum was prepared in a soluble form from cells grown aerobically with nitrate as the nitrogen source, and some of its properties have been studied. 2. The enzyme is a FAD-dependent metalloprotein (mol.wt. about 67000), which stoicheiometrically catalyses the direct reduction of nitrite to NH(3) with NADH as the electron donor. 3. NADH-nitrite reductase can exist in two either active or inactive interconvertible forms. Inactivation in vitro can be achieved by preincubation with NADH. Nitrite can specifically protect the enzyme against this inactivation and reverse the process once it has occurred. 4. A. chroococcum nitrite reductase is an adaptive enzyme whose formation depends on the presence of either nitrate or nitrite in the nutrient solution. 5. Tungstate inhibits growth of the microorganism very efficiently, by competition with molybdate, when nitrate is the nitrogen source, but does not interfere when nitrite or NH(3) is substituted for nitrate. The addition of tungstate to the culture media results in the loss of nitrate reductase activity but does not affect nitrite reductase.     

Kinetic studies on the oxidation of nitrite by horseradish peroxidase and lactoperoxidase

The reaction of nitrite (NO2-) with horseradish peroxidase and lactoperoxidase was studied. Sequential mixing stopped-flow measurements gave the following values for the rate constants of the reaction of nitrite with compounds II (oxoferryl heme intermediates) of horseradish peroxidase and lactoperoxidase at pH 7.0, 13.3 +/- 0.07 mol(-1) dm3 s(-1) and 3.5 +/- 0.05 x 10(4) mol(-1) dm3 s(-1), respectively. Nitrite, at neutral pH, influenced measurements of activity of lactoperoxidase with typical substrates like 2,2'-azino-bis[ethyl-benzothiazoline-(6)-sulphonic acid] (ABTS), guaiacol or thiocyanate (SCN-). The rate of ABTS and guaiacol oxidation increased linearly with nitrite concentration up to 2.5-5 mmol dm(-3). On the other hand, two-electron SCN- oxidation was inhibited in the presence of nitrite. Thus, nitrite competed with the investigated substrates of lactoperoxidase. The intermediate, most probably nitrogen dioxide (*NO2), reacted more rapidly with ABTS or guaiacol than did lactoperoxidase compound II. It did not, however, effectively oxidize SCN- to OSCN-. NO2- did not influence the activity measurements of horseradish peroxidase by ABTS or guaiacol method.     

Platelet inhibition by nitrite is dependent on erythrocytes and deoxygenation

BACKGROUND: Nitrite is a nitric oxide (NO) metabolite in tissues and blood, which can be converted to NO under hypoxia to facilitate tissue perfusion. Although nitrite is known to cause vasodilation following its reduction to NO, the effect of nitrite on platelet activity remains unclear. In this study, the effect of nitrite and nitrite+erythrocytes, with and without deoxygenation, on platelet activity was investigated. METHODOLOGY/FINDING: Platelet aggregation was studied in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and PRP+erythrocytes by turbidimetric and impedance aggregometry, respectively. In PRP, DEANONOate inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP while nitrite had no effect on platelets. In PRP+erythrocytes, the inhibitory effect of DEANONOate on platelets decreased whereas nitrite at physiologic concentration (0.1 μM) inhibited platelet aggregation and ATP release. The effect of nitrite+erythrocytes on platelets was abrogated by C-PTIO (a membrane-impermeable NO scavenger), suggesting an NO-mediated action. Furthermore, deoxygenation enhanced the effect of nitrite as observed from a decrease of P-selectin expression and increase of the cGMP levels in platelets. The ADP-induced platelet aggregation in whole blood showed inverse correlations with the nitrite levels in whole blood and erythrocytes. CONCLUSION: Nitrite alone at physiological levels has no effect on platelets in plasma. Nitrite in the presence of erythrocytes inhibits platelets through its reduction to NO, which is promoted by deoxygenation. Nitrite may have role in modulating platelet activity in the circulation, especially during hypoxia.     

Energy conservation in Nitrobacter

Abstract The generation of ATP and NADH in total cells of Nitrobacter was measured under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. NADH synthesis was driven by an ATP independent reaction with nitrite or nitric oxide as electron donors. The rate of NADH formation was about 200 times higher, if nitric oxide instead of nitrite served as electron donor. Approximately 2 mol nitric oxide were needed for reduction of 1 mol NAD⁺. Nitrite caused an end-product inhibition of the nitric oxide induced NADH synthesis. ATP was synthesized by NADH oxidation with oxygen and nitrate as terminal electron acceptors.     

Physiology and interaction of nitrate and nitrite reduction in Staphylococcus carnosus.

Staphylococcus carnosus reduces nitrate to ammonia in two steps. (i) Nitrate was taken up and reduced to nitrite, and nitrite was subsequently excreted. (ii) After depletion of nitrate, the accumulated nitrite was imported and reduced to ammonia, which again accumulated in the medium. The localization, energy gain, and induction of the nitrate and nitrite reductases in S. carnosus were characterized. Nitrate reductase seems to be a membrane-bound enzyme involved in respiratory energy conservation, whereas nitrite reductase seems to be a cytosolic enzyme involved in NADH reoxidation. Syntheses of both enzymes are inhibited by oxygen and induced to greater or lesser degrees by nitrate or nitrite, respectively. In whole cells, nitrite reduction is inhibited by nitrate and also by high concentrations of nitrite (> or = 10 mM). Nitrite did not influence nitrate reduction. Two possible mechanisms for the inhibition of nitrite reduction by nitrate that are not mutually exclusive are discussed. (i) Competition for NADH nitrate reductase is expected to oxidize the bulk of the NADH because of its higher specific activity. (ii) The high rate of nitrate reduction could lead to an internal accumulation of nitrite, possibly the result of a less efficient nitrite reduction or export. So far, we have no evidence for the presence of other dissimilatory or assimilatory nitrate or nitrite reductases in S. carnosus.     

Nitrite and nitrous oxide production by Methylosinus trichosporium

Conditions for the production of nitrite and nitrous oxide by an obligate methanotroph, Methylosinus trichosporium (OB 3b), were studied. The rate of nitrite production (V NO2-) was correlated with the concentration of ammonia up to 20 mM in the presence of sufficient amounts of oxygen and inversely correlated with the amounts of methane in the system. The rate of nitrous oxide (N2O) production (V N2O) was correlated positively with V NO2- and the amount of nitrite produced and inversely with the oxygen concentration in the system. Nitrite started to disappear when either oxygen or methane or both were depleted, but only a part of the loss could be accounted for by an increase in N2O. Maximum rates of nitrite and N2O production by Ms. trichosporium were 6.9 X 10(-16) and 2.2 X 10(-17) mol . cell-1 X day-1, respectively. These values are about 0.2 and 1.6% of the values for Nitrosomonas europaea. Therefore, production of nitrite and N2O by methanotrophs in aquatic environments may not be as significant as that of Nitrosomonas.     

Aerobic and anaerobic nitrate and nitrite reduction in free-living cells of Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lupinus)

Induction, energy gain, effect on growth, and interaction of nitrate and nitrite reduction of Bradyrhizobium sp. (Lupinus) USDA 3045 were characterized. Both nitrate and nitrite were reduced in air, although nitrite reduction was insensitive to ammonium inhibition. Anaerobic reduction of both ions was shown to be linked with energy conservation. A dissimilatory ammonification process was detected, which has not been reported in rhizobia so far. Nevertheless, anaerobic conversion of nitrate to ammonium was lower than 40%, which suggests the presence of an additional, nitrite reductase of denitrifying type. Nitrite toxicity caused a non-linear relationship between biomass produced and >2 mM concentrations of each N oxyanion consumed. At > or =5 mM initial concentrations of nitrate, a stoichiometric nitrite accumulation occurred and nitrite remained in the medium. This suggests an inhibition of nitrite reductase activity by nitrate, presumably due to competition with nitrate reductase for electron donors. Lowering of growth temperature almost completely diminished nitrite accumulation and enabled consumption as high as 10 mM nitrate, which confirms such a conclusion.     

Evidence for a role of calcium in nitrate assimilation in wheat seedlings

Severely Ca-deficient Triticum aestivum L. seedlings accumulated high levels of nitrite and moderate levels of nitrate and organic nitrogen, but contained unaltered levels of hydroxylamine. Nitrite accumulation was not related to molybdenum deficiency, or altered cellular pH. Nitrate reductase was decreased by Ca deficiency, apparently by repression of enzyme synthesis from accumulated nitrite and not by inhibition of enzyme activity. Nitrite reductase and NADP diaphorase activities were not affected by Ca deficiency, and Ca did not restore activity to nitrite reductase inactivated by cyanide. The results indicated that the role of Ca is in intracellular transport of nitrite and not in induction or activity of enzymes.