Carbon dioxide-catalyzed peroxynitrite reactivity – The resilience of the radical mechanism after two decades of research

Ohara Augusto*, Sara Goldstein, James K. Hurst, Johan Lind, Sergei V. Lymar, Gabor Merenyi, Rafael Radi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Peroxynitrite, ONOO , formed in tissues that are simultaneously generating NO and O 2 •- , is widely regarded as a major contributor to oxidative stress. Many of the reactions involved are catalyzed by CO 2 via formation of an unstable adduct, ONOOC(O)O , that undergoes O-O bond homolysis to produce NO 2 and CO 3 •– radicals, whose yields are equal at about 0.33 with respect to the ONOO reactant. Since its inception two decades ago, this radical-based mechanism has been frequently but unsuccessfully challenged. The most recent among these [Serrano-Luginbuehl et al. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 31:721-730; 2018] claims that ONOOC(O)O is stable, predicts a yield of NO 2 /CO 3 •– of less than 0.01 under physiological conditions and, contrary to widely accepted viewpoints, suggests that radical generation is inconsequential to peroxynitrite-induced oxidative damage. Here we review the experimental and theoretical evidence that support the radical model and show this recently proposed alternative mechanism to be incorrect.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)210-215
Number of pages6
JournalFree Radical Biology and Medicine
Volume135
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2019

Bibliographical note

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© 2019 Elsevier Inc.

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