Nitric Oxide–Independent Vasodilator Rescues Heme-Oxidized Soluble Guanylate Cyclase From Proteasomal Degradation

S Meurer, S Pioch, T Pabst, N Opitz… - Circulation …, 2009 - Am Heart Assoc
S Meurer, S Pioch, T Pabst, N Opitz, PM Schmidt, T Beckhaus, K Wagner, S Matt…
Circulation research, 2009Am Heart Assoc
Nitric oxide (NO) is an essential vasodilator. In vascular diseases, oxidative stress
attenuates NO signaling by both chemical scavenging of free NO and oxidation and
downregulation of its major intracellular receptor, the αβ heterodimeric heme-containing
soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). Oxidation can also induce loss of the heme of sGC, as well
as the responsiveness of sGC to NO. sGC activators such as BAY 58-2667 bind to
oxidized/heme-free sGC and reactivate the enzyme to exert disease-specific vasodilation …
Nitric oxide (NO) is an essential vasodilator. In vascular diseases, oxidative stress attenuates NO signaling by both chemical scavenging of free NO and oxidation and downregulation of its major intracellular receptor, the αβ heterodimeric heme-containing soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC). Oxidation can also induce loss of the heme of sGC, as well as the responsiveness of sGC to NO. sGC activators such as BAY 58-2667 bind to oxidized/heme-free sGC and reactivate the enzyme to exert disease-specific vasodilation. Here, we show that oxidation-induced downregulation of sGC protein extends to isolated blood vessels. Mechanistically, degradation was triggered through sGC ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. The heme-binding site ligand BAY 58-2667 prevented sGC ubiquitination and stabilized both α and β subunits. Collectively, our data establish oxidation–ubiquitination of sGC as a modulator of NO/cGMP signaling and point to a new mechanism of action for sGC activating vasodilators by stabilizing their receptor, oxidized/heme-free sGC.
Am Heart Assoc