Nitric oxide and thiol groups.

S-Nitroso(sy)lation reactions have recently been appreciated to regulate protein function and mediate 'nitrosative' stress. S-Nitrosothiols (SNOs) have been identified in a variety of tissues, and represent a novel class of signaling molecules which may act independently of homolytic cleavage to NO - and, indeed, in a stereoselective fashion - or be metabolized to other bioactive nitrogen oxides. It is now appreciated that sulfur-NO interactions have critical physiological relevance to mammalian neurotransmission, ion channel function, intracellular signaling and antimicrobial defense. These reactions are promising targets for the development of new medical therapies.