Active site specific cadmium(II)-substituted horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase: crystal structures of the free enzyme, its binary complex with NADH, and the ternary complex with NADH and bound p-bromobenzyl alcohol

Three crystal structures have been determined of active site specific substituted Cd(II) horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase and its complexes. Intensities were collected for the free, orthorhombic enzyme to 2.4-A resolution and for a triclinic binary complex with NADH to 2.7-A resolution. A ternary complex was crystallized from an equilibrium mixture of NAD+ and p-bromobenzyl alcohol. The microspectrophotometric analysis of these single crystals showed the protein-bound coenzyme to be largely NADH, which proves the complex to consist of CdII-LADH, NADH, and p-bromobenzyl alcohol. Intensity data for this abortive ternary complex were collected to 2.9-A resolution. The coordination geometry in the free Cd(II)-substituted enzyme is highly similar to that of the native enzyme. Cd(II) is bound to Cys-46, Cys-174, His-67, and a water molecule in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. Binding of coenzymes induces a conformational change similar to that in the native enzyme. The interactions between the coenzyme and the protein in the binary and ternary complexes are highly similar to those in the native ternary complexes. The substrate binds directly to the cadmium ion in a distorted tetrahedral geometry. No large, significant structural changes compared to the native ternary complex with coenzyme and p-bromobenzyl alcohol were found. The implications of these results for the use of active site specific Cd(II)-substituted horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase as a model system for the native enzyme are discussed.     

Structural studies of constitutive nitric oxide synthases with diatomic ligands bound

Crystal structures are reported for the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)–arginine–CO ternary complex as well as the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) heme domain complexed with l-arginine and diatomic ligands, CO or NO, in the presence of the native cofactor, tetrahydrobiopterin, or its oxidized analogs, dihydrobiopterin and 4-aminobiopterin. The nature of the biopterin has no influence on the diatomic ligand binding. The binding geometries of diatomic ligands to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) follow the {MXY} ⁿ formalism developed from the inorganic diatomic–metal complexes. The structures reveal some subtle structural differences between eNOS and nNOS when CO is bound to the heme which correlate well with the differences in CO stretching frequencies observed by resonance Raman techniques. The detailed hydrogen-bonding geometries depicted in the active site of nNOS structures indicate that it is the ordered active-site water molecule rather than the substrate itself that would most likely serve as a direct proton donor to the diatomic ligands (CO, NO, as well as O₂) bound to the heme. This has important implications for the oxygen activation mechanism critical to NOS catalysis.     

Crystal structure of lactaldehyde dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli and inferences regarding substrate and cofactor specificity

Aldehyde dehydrogenases catalyze the oxidation of aldehyde substrates to the corresponding carboxylic acids. Lactaldehyde dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli (aldA gene product, P25553) is an NAD(+)-dependent enzyme implicated in the metabolism of l-fucose and l-rhamnose. During the heterologous expression and purification of taxadiene synthase from the Pacific yew, lactaldehyde dehydrogenase from E. coli was identified as a minor (相似文献   

Ligand binding and structural perturbations in cytochrome c peroxidase. A crystallographic study

Crystal structures of the complexes formed between cytochrome c peroxidase and cyanide, nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and fluoride have been determined and refined to 1.85 A. In all four complexes significant changes occur in the distal heme pocket due to movement of Arg-48, His-52, and a rearrangement of active site water molecules. In the cyanide, nitric oxide, and carbon monoxide complexes, Arg-48 moves away from the ligand while in the fluoride complex Arg-48 moves in toward the ligand to form a hydrogen bond or ion pair with the fluoride. More subtle changes occur on the proximal side of the heme. In an earlier study at lower resolution (Edwards, S. L., Kraut, J., and Poulos, T. L. (1988) Biochemistry 27, 8074-8081), we found that nitric oxide binding causes perturbations in the proximal domain involving Trp-191 which has been confirmed by the present study. Trp-191 is stacked parallel to and in contact with the proximal ligand, His-175. Nitric oxide binding results in a slight movement of Trp-191 away from His-175 and a large increase in crystallographic temperature factors indicating increased mobility of these residues on the proximal side of the heme. These proximal-side changes are unique to nitric oxide and are not related strictly to spin-state or oxidation state of the iron atom since similar changes were not observed in the cyanide (low-spin ferric), carbon monoxide (low-spin ferrous), or fluoride (high-spin ferric) complexes.     

The substrate-induced conformational change of Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycothiol synthase

The structure of the ternary complex of mycothiol synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis with bound desacetylmycothiol and CoA was determined to 1.8 A resolution. The structure of the acetyl-CoA-binary complex had shown an active site groove that was several times larger than its substrate. The structure of the ternary complex reveals that mycothiol synthase undergoes a large conformational change in which the two acetyltransferase domains are brought together through shared interactions with the functional groups of desacetylmycothiol, thereby decreasing the size of this large central groove. A comparison of the binary and ternary structures illustrates many of the features that promote catalysis. Desacetylmycothiol is positioned with its primary amine in close proximity and in the proper orientation for direct nucleophilic attack on the si-face of the acetyl group of acetyl-CoA. Glu-234 and Tyr-294 are positioned to act as a general base and general acid to promote acetyl transfer. In addition, this structure provides further evidence that the N-terminal acetyltransferase domain no longer has enzymatic activity and is vestigial in nature.     

Interaction of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and tetrahydrobiopterin on endothelial function

The present study was designed to investigate the interaction between 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and tetrahydrobiopterin in modulating endothelial function. Tetrahydrobiopterin is a critical cofactor for nitric oxide synthase and maintains this enzyme as a nitric oxide- versus superoxide-producing enzyme. The structure of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate is similar to tetrahydrobiopterin and both agents have been shown to improve endothelium-dependent vasodilatation. We hypothesized that 5-methyltetrahydrofolate interacts with nitric oxide synthase in a fashion analogous, yet independent, of tetrahydrobiopterin to improve endothelial function. We demonstrate that 5-methyltetrahydrofolate binds the active site of nitric oxide synthase and mimics the orientation of tetrahydrobiopterin. Furthermore, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate attenuates superoxide production (induced by inhibition of tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis) and improves endothelial function in aortae isolated from tetrahydrobiopterin-deficient rats. We suggest that 5-methyltetrahydrofolate directly interacts with nitric oxide synthase to promote nitric oxide (vs. superoxide) production and improve endothelial function. 5-Methyltetrahydrofolate may represent an important strategy for intervention aimed at improving tetrahydrobiopterin bioavailability.     

Proteolytic degradation of nitric oxide synthase isoforms by calpain is modulated by the expression levels of HSP90

Ca2+ loading of Jurkat and bovine aorta endothelium cells induces the degradation of the neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthases that are selectively expressed in these cell lines. For neuronal nitric oxide synthase, this process involves a conservative limited proteolysis without appreciable loss of catalytic activity. By contrast, endothelial nitic oxide synthase digestion proceeds through a parallel loss of protein and catalytic activity. The chaperone heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is present in a large amount in Jurkat cells and at significantly lower levels in bovine aorta endothelium cells. The differing ratios of HSP90/nitric oxide synthase (NOS) occurring in the two cell types are responsible for the conservative or nonconservative digestion of NOS isozymes. Consistently, we demonstrate that, in the absence of Ca2+, HSP90 forms binary complexes with NOS isozymes or with calpain. When Ca2+ is present, a ternary complex containing the three proteins is produced. In this associated state, HSP90 and NOS forms are almost completely resistant to calpain digestion, probably due to a structural hindrance and a reduction in the catalytic efficiency of the protease. Thus, the recruitment of calpain in the HSP90-NOS complexes reduces the extent of the proteolysis of these two proteins. We have also observed that calpastatin competes with HSP90 for the binding of calpain in reconstructed systems. Digestion of the proteins present in the complexes can occur only when free active calpain is present in the system. This process can be visualized as a novel mechanism involving the association of NOS with HSP90 and the concomitant recruitment of active calpain in ternary complexes in which the proteolysis of both NOS isozymes and HSP90 is significantly reduced.     

Structural basis of biopterin-induced inhibition of GTP cyclohydrolase I by GFRP, its feedback regulatory protein

GTP cyclohydrolase I (GTPCHI) is the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin, a key cofactor necessary for nitric oxide synthase and for the hydroxylases that are involved in the production of catecholamines and serotonin. In animals, the GTPCHI feedback regulatory protein (GFRP) binds GTPCHI to mediate feed-forward activation of GTPCHI activity in the presence of phenylalanine, whereas it induces feedback inhibition of enzyme activity in the presence of biopterin. Here, we have reported the crystal structure of the biopterin-induced inhibitory complex of GTPCHI and GFRP and compared it with the previously reported phenylalanine-induced stimulatory complex. The structure reveals five biopterin molecules located at each interface between GTPCHI and GFRP. Induced fitting structural changes by the biopterin binding expand large conformational changes in GTPCHI peptide segments forming the active site, resulting in inhibition of the activity. By locating 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylalanine-responsive dystonia mutations in the complex structure, we found mutations that may possibly disturb the GFRP-mediated regulation of GTPCHI.     

Structure of the bound dioxygen species in the cytochrome oxidase reaction of cytochrome cd1 nitrite reductase

Reduction of dioxygen to water is a key process in aerobic life, but atomic details of this reaction have been elusive because of difficulties in observing active oxygen intermediates by crystallography. Cytochrome cd(1) is a bifunctional enzyme, capable of catalyzing the one-electron reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide, and the four-electron reduction of dioxygen to water. The latter is a cytochrome oxidase reaction. Here we describe the structure of an active dioxygen species in the enzyme captured by cryo-trapping. The productive binding mode of dioxygen in the active site is very similar to that of nitrite and suggests that the catalytic mechanisms of oxygen reduction and nitrite reduction are closely related. This finding has implications to the understanding of the evolution of oxygen-reducing enzymes. Comparison of the dioxygen complex to complexes of cytochrome cd(1) with stable diatomic ligands shows that nitric oxide and cyanide bind in a similar bent conformation to the iron as dioxygen whereas carbon monoxide forms a linear complex. The significance of these differences is discussed.     

X-ray crystallographic study of cyanide binding provides insights into the structure-function relationship for cytochrome cd1 nitrite reductase from Paracoccus pantotrophus

We present a 1.59-A resolution crystal structure of reduced Paracoccus pantotrophus cytochrome cd(1) with cyanide bound to the d(1) heme and His/Met coordination of the c heme. Fe-C-N bond angles are 146 degrees for the A subunit and 164 degrees for the B subunit of the dimer. The nitrogen atom of bound cyanide is within hydrogen bonding distance of His(345) and His(388) and either a water molecule in subunit A or Tyr(25) in subunit B. The ferrous heme-cyanide complex is unusually stable (K(d) approximately 10(-6) m); we propose that this reflects both the design of the specialized d(1) heme ring and a general feature of anion reductases with active site heme. Oxidation of crystals of reduced, cyanide-bound, cytochrome cd(1) results in loss of cyanide and return to the native structure with Tyr(25) as a ligand to the d(1) heme iron and switching to His/His coordination at the c-type heme. No reason for unusually weak binding of cyanide to the ferric state can be identified; rather it is argued that the protein is designed such that a chelate-based effect drives displacement by tyrosine of cyanide or a weaker ligand, like reaction product nitric oxide, from the ferric d(1) heme.     

Cytochrome P450 catalyzed nitric oxide synthesis: a theoretical study

Similar to nitric oxide synthase (NOS) cytochrome P450 isoforms (e.g. 3A and 4E) can produce nitric oxide from arginine. Although the active site of both proteins contains a protoporphyrin IX unit having an axial cystein ligand, their effectiveness in the synthesis of NO differs significantly. Now the molecular basis of this functional difference was investigated. A homology model for cytochrome P450 3A4 was refined and compared to the X-ray structure of iNOS. We found the active site of iNOS to be more readily accessible for the substrate than that of P450. Docking calculations were performed using the Monte Carlo conformational analysis technique on all internal and external degrees of freedom of arginine and active site residues as well. The lowest energy conformation of the cytochrome P450 3A4-substrate complex was compared to the high resolution X-ray structure of the iNOS-arginine complex. Comparison of substrate orientations revealed that arginine binds in a similar conformation in both enzymes. In contrast to iNOS we found, however, that in P450 partially negative propionate side chains of protoporphyrin IX are located on the opposite side of the heme plane. As a result of this and the absence of other negatively charged residues the distal (substrate binding) side of P450 should be less negative than that of NOS and therefore its affinity toward the partially positive arginine is reduced. Comparison of molecular electrostatic potentials calculated within the active site of the proteins supports this proposal. Reduced affinity in combination with limited substrate access might be responsible for the less effective NO synthesis of cytochrome P450 observed experimentally.     

Crystal structures of chloroperoxidase with its bound substrates and complexed with formate, acetate, and nitrate

Chloroperoxidase (CPO) is a heme-thiolate enzyme that catalyzes hydrogen peroxide-dependent halogenation reactions. Structural data on substrate binding have not been available so far. CPO was therefore crystallized in the presence of iodide or bromide. One halide binding site was identified at the surface near a narrow channel that connects the surface with the heme. Two other halide binding sites were identified within and at the other end of this channel. Together, these sites suggest a pathway for access of halide anions to the active site. The structure of CPO complexed with its natural substrate cyclopentanedione was determined at a resolution of 1.8 A. This is the first example of a CPO structure with a bound organic substrate. In addition, structures of CPO bound with nitrate, acetate, and formate and of a ternary complex with dimethylsulfoxide (Me2SO) and cyanide were determined. These structures have implications for the mechanism of compound I formation. Before binding to the heme, the incoming hydrogen peroxide first interacts with Glu-183. The deprotonated Glu-183 abstracts a proton from hydrogen peroxide. The hydroperoxo-anion then binds at the heme, yielding compound 0. Glu-183 protonates the distal oxygen of compound 0, water is released, and compound I is formed.     

Human glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase. Structures of apo,binary, and inhibitory ternary complexes

The human glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase is unique among the structurally studied members of the alcohol dehydrogenase family in that it follows a random bi bi kinetic mechanism. The structures of an apo form of the enzyme, a binary complex with substrate 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid, and a ternary complex with NAD+ and the inhibitor dodecanoic acid were determined at 2.0, 2.3, and 2.3 A resolution by X-ray crystallography using the anomalous diffraction signal of zinc. The structures of the enzyme and its binary complex with the primary alcohol substrate, 12-hydroxydodecanoic acid, and the previously reported binary complex with the coenzyme show that the binding of the first substrate (alcohol or coenzyme) causes only minor changes to the overall structure of the enzyme. This is consistent with the random mechanism of the enzyme where either of the substrates binds to the free enzyme. The catalytic-domain position in these structures is intermediate to the "closed" and "open" conformations observed in class I alcohol dehydrogenases. More importantly, two different tetrahedral coordination environments of the active site zinc are observed in these structures. In the apoenzyme, the active site zinc is coordinated to Cys44, His66 and Cys173, and a water molecule. In the inhibitor complex, the coordination environment involves Glu67 instead of the solvent water molecule. The coordination environment involving Glu67 as the fourth ligand likely represents an intermediate step during ligand exchange at the active site zinc. These observations provide new insight into metal-assisted catalysis and substrate binding in glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase.     

Binding of 17O-labeled substrate and inhibitors to protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase-nitrosyl complex. Evidence for direct substrate binding to the active site Fe2+ of extradiol dioxygenases

Pseudomonas testosteroni protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase catalyzes extradiol-type oxygenolytic cleavage of the aromatic ring of its substrate. The essential active site Fe2+ binds nitric oxide (NO) to produce an EPR active complex with an electronic spin of S = 3/2. Hyperfine broadening of the EPR resonances of the nitrosyl complex of the enzyme by protocatechuate (3,4-(OH)2-benzoate, PCA) enriched specifically with 17O (I = 5/2) in either the 3 or the 4 hydroxyl group shows that both groups can bind directly to the Fe2+ in the ternary complex. Analogous results are obtained for PCA binding to catechol 2,3-dioxygenase-NO complex suggesting that substrate binding by the Fe2+ may be a general property of extradiol dioxygenases. The protocatechuate 4,5-dioxygenase inhibitor, 4-17OH-benzoate binds directly to the Fe of the nitrosyl adduct of the enzyme through the OH group. Since previous studies have shown that water also is bound to the Fe in this ternary complex, but not in the ternary complex with PCA, the data strongly imply that there are 3 sites in the Fe coordination which can be occupied by exogenous ligands. 3-17OH-benzoate is an inhibitor of the enzyme but does not elicit detectable hyperfine broadening in the EPR spectrum of the nitrosyl adduct suggesting that it binds to the enzyme, but not to the Fe. The EPR spectra of ternary enzyme-NO complexes with PCA or 4-OH-benzoate labeled with 17O exclusively in the carboxylate substituent are not broadened, suggesting that this moiety does not bind to the Fe.     

Crystal structures of open and closed forms of binary and ternary complexes of the large fragment of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase I: structural basis for nucleotide incorporation.

The crystal structures of two ternary complexes of the large fragment of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase I (Klentaq1) with a primer/template DNA and dideoxycytidine triphosphate, and that of a binary complex of the same enzyme with a primer/template DNA, were determined to a resolution of 2.3, 2.3 and 2.5 A, respectively. One ternary complex structure differs markedly from the two other structures by a large reorientation of the tip of the fingers domain. This structure, designated 'closed', represents the ternary polymerase complex caught in the act of incorporating a nucleotide. In the two other structures, the tip of the fingers domain is rotated outward by 46 degrees ('open') in an orientation similar to that of the apo form of Klentaq1. These structures provide the first direct evidence in DNA polymerase I enzymes of a large conformational change responsible for assembling an active ternary complex.     

Crystallographic evidence of a transglycosylation reaction: ternary complexes of a psychrophilic alpha-amylase

The psychrophilic Pseudoalteromonas haloplanctis alpha-amylase is shown to form ternary complexes with two alpha-amylase inhibitors present in the active site region, namely, a molecule of Tris and a trisaccharide inhibitor or heptasaccharide inhibitor, respectively. The crystal structures of these complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallography to 1.80 and 1.74 A resolution, respectively. In both cases, the prebound inhibitor Tris is expelled from the active site by the incoming oligosaccharide inhibitor substrate analogue, but stays linked to it, forming well-defined ternary complexes with the enzyme. These results illustrate competition in the crystalline state between two inhibitors, an oligosaccharide substrate analogue and a Tris molecule, bound at the same time in the active site region. Taken together, these structures show that the enzyme performs transglycosylation in the complex with the pseudotetrasaccharide acarbose (confirmed by a mutant structure), leading to a well-defined heptasaccharide, considered as a more potent inhibitor. Furthermore, the substrate-induced ordering of water molecules within a channel highlights a possible pathway used for hydrolysis of starch and related poly- and oligosaccharides.     

Structure of 3-deoxy-d-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Escherichia coli: comparison of the Mn(2+)*2-phosphoglycolate and the Pb(2+)*2-phosphoenolpyruvate complexes and implications for catalysis

The crystal structure of the phenylalanine-regulated 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS) from Escherichia coli in complex with Mn(2+) and the substrate analog, 2-phosphoglycolate (PGL), was determined by molecular replacement using X-ray diffraction data to 2.0 A resolution. DAHPS*Mn*PGL crystallizes in space group C2 (a=210.4 A, b=53.2 A, c=149.4 A, beta=116.1 degrees ) with its four (beta/alpha)(8) barrel subunits related by non-crystallographic 222 symmetry. The refinement was carried out without non-crystallographic symmetry restraints and yielded agreement factors of R=20.9 % and R(free)=23.9 %. Mn(2+), the most efficient metal activator, is coordinated by the same four side-chains (Cys61, His268, Glu302 and Asp326) as is the poorly activating Pb(2+). A fifth ligand is a well-defined water molecule, which is within hydrogen bonding distance to an essential lysine residue (Lys97). The distorted octahedral coordination sphere of the metal is completed by PGL, which replaces the substrate, 2-phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), in the active site. However, unlike PEP in the Pb*PEP complex, PGL binds the Mn(2+) via one of its carboxylate oxygen atoms. A model of the active site is discussed in which PEP binds in the same orientation as does PGL in the DAHPS*Mn*PGL structure and the phosphate of E4P is tethered at the site of a bound sulfate anion. The re face of E4P can be positioned to interact with the si face of PEP with only small movement of the protein.     

Crystal structure of Escherichia coli thymidylate synthase containing bound 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylate and 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate

The crystal structure of an Escherichia coli thymidylate synthase (TS) ternary complex containing 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridylate (FdUMP) and 10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolate (PDDF) has been determined and refined at 2.3 A resolution. Each of the two chemically identical subunits folds into a three-layer domain anchored by a large six-stranded mixed beta-sheet. The backside of one sheet is juxtaposed against the corresponding face of the equivalent sheet in the second protomer creating a beta-sandwich. In contrast to other proteins of known structure in which aligned beta-sheets stack face to face with a counterclockwise rotation, sheets in the TS dimer are related by a clockwise twist. The substrate-binding pocket is a large funnel-shaped cleft extending some 25 A into the interior of each subunit and is surrounded by 30 amino acids, 28 from one subunit and two from the other. FdUMP binds at the bottom of this pocket covalently linked through C-6 to the sulfur of Cys146. Up-pointing faces of the pyrimidine and ribose rings are exposed to provide a complementary docking surface for the quinazoline ring of PDDF. The quinazoline inhibitor binds in a partially folded conformation with its p-aminobenzoyl glutamate tail exposed at the entrance to the active site cleft. Ternary complex formation is associated with a large conformational change involving four residues at the protein's carboxy terminus that close down on the distal side of the inhibitor's quinazoline ring, capping the active site and sequestering the bound ligands from bulk solvent.     

Phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus sp. M4: high-resolution X-ray analyses of inhibitory ternary complexes reveal key features in the oxidative deamination mechanism

The molecular structures of recombinant L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Rhodococcus sp. M4 in two different inhibitory ternary complexes have been determined by X-ray crystallographic analyses to high resolution. Both structures show that L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase is a homodimeric enzyme with each monomer composed of distinct globular N- and C-terminal domains separated by a deep cleft containing the active site. The N-terminal domain binds the amino acid substrate and contributes to the interactions at the subunit:subunit interface. The C-terminal domain contains a typical Rossmann fold and orients the dinucleotide. The dimer has overall dimensions of approximately 82 A x 75 A x 75 A, with roughly 50 A separating the two active sites. The structures described here, namely the enzyme.NAD+.phenylpyruvate, and enzyme. NAD+.beta-phenylpropionate species, represent the first models for any amino acid dehydrogenase in a ternary complex. By analysis of the active-site interactions in these models, along with the currently available kinetic data, a detailed chemical mechanism has been proposed. This mechanism differs from those proposed to date in that it accounts for the inability of the amino acid dehydrogenases, in general, to function as hydroxy acid dehydrogenases.     

Interleukin-1 beta-induced formation of EPR-detectable iron-nitrosyl complexes in islets of Langerhans. Role of nitric oxide in interleukin-1 beta-induced inhibition of insulin secretion.

The molecular mechanism by which interleukin (IL)-1 inhibits insulin secretion and ultimately causes destruction of the pancreatic beta-cell remains unknown. Evidence is presented which suggests that IL-1 beta-induced inhibition of insulin secretion is dependent on the metabolism of L-arginine to nitric oxide. NG-Monomethylarginine, a competitive inhibitor of the L-arginine-dependent enzyme nitric oxide synthase, completely prevents IL-1-induced inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion as well as nitrite production by islets. It is further shown that IL-1 beta induces nitric oxide formation in islets as evidenced by an electron paramagnetic resonance feature at g = 2.04 which is similar to previously reported iron-nitrosyl complexes formed from the destruction of iron-sulfur centers by nitric oxide. Inhibition of the nitric oxide synthase by NG-monomethylarginine completely prevents the formation of this EPR signal in islets. These results show that IL-1-induced inhibition of insulin secretion is mediated through formation of nitric oxide and suggest that the generation of nitric oxide may represent the cellular mechanism responsible for beta-cell destruction.