Signal transduction by protein tyrosine nitration: competition or cooperation with tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent signaling events?

This review article is an attempt to stimulate a discussion on the significance of protein tyrosine nitration to cellular signaling and its relationships with protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Initially, it provides basic information on growth factor and oxidants as modulators/mediators of tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent signal transduction pathways. The effects of exogenous and endogenous tyrosine nitration on such pathways were examined by reviewing published and unpublished observations. From an initial perspective that tyrosine nitration was a toxic manifestation of nitric oxide, the concept evolved to a protein modification that could also function in cellular signaling events, possibly cooperating with tyrosine phosphorylation. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.