Regulating the regulator of ROS production

Abstract

Balancing inflammatory reactive oxygen species (ROS) production is essential for safely eliminating pathogenic microbes. The newly described protein Negative Regulator of ROS (NRROS) dampens ROS production by restricting NOX2 availability, and thus "cools-off" inflammation.

Figure 1

Nascent NOX2 interactions in the ER. NOX2 is a major source of superoxide radical anion during phagocytic cell activation. Interaction of nascent NOX2 with p22phox stabilizes NOX2 in the ER and allows for the maturation and trafficking of NOX2 to the plasma membrane where it becomes functional. NRROS is a newly identified NOX2-binding partner in the ER. Binding of NOX2 by NRROS accelerates NOX2 degradation, and thereby modulates ROS production by reducing NOX2 level.