Balancing reactivity against selectivity: The evolution of protein S-nitrosylation as an effector of cell signaling by nitric oxide

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Abstract
Produced by the action of lightning in the atmosphere of the pre-biotic earth, nitric oxide (NO) is a free radical molecule that provided the major nitrogen source for development of life. Remarkably, when atmospheric sources of NO became restrictive, organisms evolved the capacity for NO biosynthesis and NO took on bioregulatory roles. We now recognize NO as an ancestral regulator of diverse and important biological functions, acting throughout the phylogenetic tree. In mammals, NO has been implicated as a pivotal regulator of virtually every major physiological system. The bioactivities of NO, and reactive species derived from NO, arise predominantly from their covalent addition to proteins. Importantly, S-nitrosylation of protein cysteine (Cys) residues has emerged as a preeminent effector of NO bioactivity. How and why NO selectively adds to particular Cys residues in proteins is poorly understood, yet fundamental to how NO communicates its bioactivities. Also, evolutionary pressures that have shaped S-nitrosylation as a biosignaling modality are obscure. Considering recently recognized NO signaling paradigms, we speculate on the origin of NO signaling in biological systems and the molecular adaptations that have endowed NO with the ability to selectively target a subset of protein Cys residues that mediate biosignaling.