Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Expression Of A Dominant-Negative Mutant Of P21ras Inhibits Induction Of Nitric Oxide Synthase And Activation Of Nuclear Factor-Kb In Primary Astrocytes, Kalipada Pahan, Xiaojuan Lu, Michael J. Mckinney, Charles Wood, Faruk G. Sheikh, John R. Raymond

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The present study underlines the importance of p21ras in regulating the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in primary astrocytes. Bacterial lipopolysaccharides induced the GTP loading of p21ras, and the expression of a dominant-negative mutant of p21ras (Dp21ras) inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced GTP loading in rat primary astrocytes. To delineate the role of p21ras in the induction of iNOS, we examined the effect of Dp21ras on the expression of iNOS and the production of nitric oxide. It is interesting that expression of Dp21ras markedly inhibited the production of nitric oxide and the expression of iNOS in lipopolysaccharide- and pro-inflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-a, …