Biochemical and functional characterization of Arabidopsis thaliana S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR)
Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenously produced radical gas that affects diverse physiological responses in plants, including stomatal movement, flowering and pathogen responses. Most NO produced enzymatically (e.g. inducible nitric oxide synthase, iNOS) or by reactive oxygen species (ROS) combined with antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH), forming S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO). GSNO has been proposed to be a principal NO reservoir due to its stability and the millimolar concentrations of GSH in living cells, but is catabolized by NADH-dependent GSNO reductase (GSNOR), a highly conserved cytosolic metalloenzyme.
I am analyzing the biochemical properties of this protein, including protein-protein interactions and their impact on NO-dependent signalling. The functional characterization of gsnor– knock out plants is also in focus of my research.