Figure 1.

Proposed mechanisms by which NO acts as an antibacterial agent. NO’s antibacterial properties are attributed to both nitrosative and oxidative stress exerted by reactive byproducts such as N₂O₃ and ONOO⁻ (peroxynitrite). Nitrosative stress leads in part to nitrosation of thiols on proteins and DNA deamination, while oxidative stress is responsible for membrane destruction via lipid peroxidation. Of note, increased NO and O₂ concentrations in lipid membranes leads to enhanced production of both nitrosative and oxidative species such as N₂O₃ and NO₂ in the membrane. Reproduced with permission.^[8] Copyright 2008, American Chemical Society.