The activity of superoxide dismutase was investigated in needles of spruce trees. To obtain maximum activity, needles were homogenized in the presence of Triton X-100 and polyvinylpyrrolidone. Superoxide dismutase activity was measured in dialyzed extracts with a modified epinephrine assay (HP Misra, I Fridovich [1972] J Biol Chem 247: 3170-3175) at pH 10.2. The extracts contained 70 to 120 uni...

The recent assertion of J. Diguiseppi and I. Fridovich (1980, Arch. Biochem. Biophgs. 203,145-150) that Fe-EDTA does not catalyze superoxide dismutation is disputed. By directly observing superoxide generated during pulse radiolysis, we have confirmed the results of a previous study (G. J. McClune, J. A. Fee, G. A. McClusky, and J. T. Groves, 1977, J. Amer. Chem. Sot 99, 5220-5222) which conclu...

Superoxide generation is inevitable in aerobic organisms, most of which have developed mechanisms to detoxify superoxides. However, its significance has not been clearly understood in mycobacteria. This study demonstrates that NADH oxidase is the major source of superoxide in Mycobacterium smegmatis and elucidates the involvement of superoxide in M. smegmatis growth. The maximum inhibition of s...

Superoxide dismutase is antioxidant enzyme responsible for the quenching of superoxide radicals which are released during the chemical reactions of the various metabolic pathways. It is a non-heme protein. Different iso-enzymes of superoxide dismutase are described. The mitochondrial enzyme is manganese dependent, cytoplasmic enzyme is copper-zinc dependent. These enzymes are evenly and ubiquit...

Monocyte extravasation into the vessel wall has been shown to be a critical step in the development of atherosclerosis. Upon activation, monocytes produce a burst of superoxide anion due to activation of the NADPH oxidase enzyme complex. Monocyte-derived superoxide anion contributes to oxidant stress in inflammatory sites, is required for monocyte-mediated LDL oxidation, and alters basic cell f...

Plant plasma membranes are known to produce superoxide radicals, while the production of the hydroxyl radical, previously detected in complex plant tissues, is thought to occur in the cell wall. The mechanism of production of superoxide radicals by plant plasma membranes is, however, under dispute. It is shown, using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy with a 5-diethoxyphosphoryl-5-met...

The lack of extracellular superoxide anion production by non-transformed cells prevents H2O2/peroxidase-mediated HOCl synthesis by these cells, as well as apoptosis induction by exogenous HOCl. In contrast, transformed cells generate extracellular superoxide anions and HOCl, and die by apoptosis after HOCl/superoxide-dependent hydroxyl radical generation at their membrane. Tumor cells prevent H...