Nitrosylation is the general term for covalent incorporation of a
nitric oxide
Nitric oxide (nitrogen oxide or nitrogen monoxide) is a colorless gas with the formula . It is one of the principal oxides of nitrogen. Nitric oxide is a free radical: it has an unpaired electron, which is sometimes denoted by a dot in its che ...
"nitrosyl" moiety into another (usually organic) molecule. There are multiple chemical mechanisms by which this can be achieved; including biological enzymes and industrial processes. The
biological functions of nitrosylation are particularly important as ''S''-nitrosylation, the conjugation of NO to
cysteine thiols in proteins, is an important part of
cell signalling.
Coordination of NO to transition metals to give
metal nitrosyl complex
Sodium nitroprusside, a medicinally significant metal nitrosyl-pentacyanoferrate (Fe-III) compound, used to treat hypertension.
Metal nitrosyl complexes are complex (chemistry), complexes that contain nitric oxide, NO, bonded to a transition me ...
es, is also referred to as nitrosylation.
See also
*
Nitrosation
Nitrosation is a process of converting organic compounds into nitroso derivatives, i.e. compounds containing the R-NO functionality.
''C''-Nitroso compounds
''C''-Nitroso compounds, such as nitrosobenzene, are typically prepared by oxidation of ...
References
Chemical reactions
Nitrogen cycle
{{Chemistry-stub