SummaryIn recent years, it has become clear that reactive oxygen species (ROS, which include superoxide, hydrogen peroxide and other metabolites) are produced in biological systems. Rather than being simply a byproduct of aerobic metabolism, it is now recognized that specific enzymes ---the Nox (NADPH-oxidase) and Duox (Dual oxidase) enzymes ----seem to have the sole function of generating ROS in a carefully regulated manner, and key roles in signal transduction, immune function, hormone biosynthesis and other normal biological functions are being uncovered. The prototypical Nox is the respiratory burst oxidase or phagocyte oxidase, which generates large amounts of superoxide and other reactive species in the phagosomes of neutrophils and macrophages, playing a central role in innate immunity by killing microbes. This enzyme system has been extensively studied over the past two decades, and provides a basis for comparison with the more recently described Nox and Duox enzymes, which generate ROS in a variety of cells and tissues. This review first considers the structure and regulation of the respiratory burst oxidase, and then reviews recent studies relating to the regulation of the activity of the novel Nox/Duox enzymes. The regulation of Nox and Duox expression in tissues and by specific stimuli is also considered here. An accompanying review considers biological and pathological roles of the Nox family of enzymes. The Respiratory Burst Oxidase of Phagocytes a. The respiratory burstThe "respiratory burst" refers to the early observation that when professional phagocytes such as neutrophils and macrophages are exposed to microbes, they consume large amounts of oxygen. Unexpectedly, this oxygen consumption was not inhibited by cyanide, an inhibitor of mitochondrial electron transport. This observation led to a more than 25 year search for the enzymatic origin of the respiratory burst and to the eventual discovery and molecular characterization of the phagocytic NADPH-oxidase or "respiratory burst oxidase". The phagocyte oxidase generates superoxide via the one electron-reduction of oxygen by NADPH, with secondary production of hydrogen peroxide, HOCl and other activated forms of oxygen. Together, these reactive oxygen species (ROS) participate in host defense by killing invading microbes. b. gp91 phox , the catalytic moiety of the respiratory burst oxidaseThe phagocytic NADPH-oxidase consists of a membrane-localized glycosylated, catalytic subunit, gp91 phox (which has also come to be known as Nox2, a terminology that will be used in this review), along with a second membrane-associated subunit, p22 phox , both depicted in Fig. 1. Nox2 and p22 phox stabilize one another in a tightly associated heterodimer which is referred to as flavocytochrome b 558 . The C-terminal half of Nox2 forms a domain that is Contact information: 148 Whitehead Biomedical Research Building, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, U.S. A. Phone: 404-727-5875, Fax: 404-712-2979, e-mail: nox...

Background: NADPH-oxidases (Nox) and the related Dual oxidases (Duox) play varied biological and pathological roles via regulated generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Members of the Nox/Duox family have been identified in a wide variety of organisms, including mammals, nematodes, fruit fly, green plants, fungi, and slime molds; however, little is known about the molecular evolutionary history of these enzymes.

The integral membrane protein p22phox is an indispensable component of the superoxide-generating phagocyte NADPH oxidase, whose catalytic core is the membrane-associated gp91 phox (also known as Nox2). p22 phox associates with gp91 phox and, through its proline-rich C terminus, provides a binding site for the tandem Src homology 3 domains of the activating subunit p47 phox . Whereas p22phox is expressed ubiquitously, its participation in regulating the activity of other Nox enzymes is less clear. This study investigates the requirement of p22 phox for Nox enzyme activity and explores the role of its proline-rich region (PRR) for regulating activity. Coexpression of specific Nox catalytic subunits (Nox1, Nox2, Nox3, Nox4, or Nox5) along with their corresponding regulatory subunits (NOXO1/NOXA1 for Nox1; p47 phox / p67 phox /Rac for Nox2; NOXO1 for Nox3; no subunits for Nox4 or Nox5) resulted in marked production of reactive oxygen. Small interfering RNAs decreased endogenous p22 phox expression and inhibited reactive oxygen generation from Nox1, Nox2, Nox3, and Nox4 but not Nox5. Truncated forms of p22 phox that disrupted the PRR-inhibited reactive oxygen generation from Nox1, Nox2, and Nox3 but not from Nox4 and Nox5. Similarly, p22 phox (P156Q), a mutation that disrupts Src homology 3 binding by the PRR, potently inhibited reactive oxygen production from Nox1 and Nox2 but not from Nox4 and Nox5. Expression of p22 phox (P156Q) inhibited NOXO1-stimulated Nox3 activity, but co-expression of NOXA1 overcame the inhibitory effect. The P157Q and P160Q mutations of p22 phox showed selective inhibition of Nox2/p47 phox /p67 phox , and selectivity was specific for the organizing subunit (p47 phox or NOXO1) rather than the Nox catalytic subunit. These studies stress the importance of p22 phox for the function of Nox1, Nox2, Nox3, and Nox4, and emphasize the key role of the PRR for regulating Nox proteins whose activity is dependent upon p47 phox or NOXO1.

Guinea pig gastric pit cells express an isozyme of gp91-phox, mitogen oxidase 1 (Mox1), and essential components for the phagocyte NADPH oxidase (p67-, p47-, p40-, and p22-phox). Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Escherichia coli LPS have been shown to function as potent activators for the Mox1 oxidase. These cells spontaneously secreted about 10 nmol of superoxide anion (O 2 ؊ )/mg of protein/h under LPS-free conditions. They expressed the mRNA and protein of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) but not those of TLR2. LPS from type I H. pylori at 2.1 endotoxin units/ml or higher stimulated TLR4-mediated phosphorylations of transforming growth factor ␤-activated kinase 1 and its binding protein 1 induced TLR4 and p67-phox and up-regulated O 2 ؊ production 10-fold. In contrast, none of these events occurred with H. pylori LPS from complete or partial deletion mutants of the cag pathogenicity island. Lipid A was confirmed to be a bioactive component for the priming effects, while removal of bisphosphates from lipid A completely eliminated the effects, suggesting the importance of the phosphorylation pattern besides the acylation pattern for the bioactivity. H. pylori LPS is generally accepted as having low toxicity; however, our results suggest that type I H. pylori lipid A may be a potent stimulator for innate immune responses of gastric mucosa by stimulating the TLR4 cascade and Mox1 oxidase in pit cells.

The NADPH oxidase 1 (Nox1) is a gp91phox homologue preferentially expressed in the colon. We have established primary cultures of guinea pig large intestinal epithelial cells giving 90% purity of surface mucous cells. These cells spontaneously released superoxide anion (O2−) of 160 nmol/mg protein/h and expressed the Nox1, p22phox, p67phox, and Rac1 mRNAs, but not the gp91phox, Nox4, p47phox, p40phox, and Rac2 mRNAs. They also expressed novel homologues of p47phox and p67phox (p41nox and p51nox, respectively). Human colon cancer cell lines (T84 and Caco2 cells) expressed the Nox1, p22phox, p51nox, and Rac1 mRNAs, but not the other NADPH component mRNAs, and secreted only small amounts of O2− (<2 nmol/mg protein/h). Cotransfection of p41nox and p51nox cDNAs in T84 cells enhanced PMA-stimulated O2− release 5-fold. Treatment of the transfected T84 cells with recombinant flagellin (rFliC) from Salmonella enteritidis further augmented the O2− release in association with the induction of Nox1 protein. The enhanced O2− production by cotransfection of p41nox and p51nox vectors further augmented the rFliC-stimulated IL-8 release from T84 cells. T84 cells expressed the Toll-like receptor 5, and rFliC rapidly phosphorylated TGF-β-activated kinase 1 and TGF-β-activated kinase 1-binding protein 1. A potent inhibitor for NF-κB (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) significantly blocked the rFliC-primed increase in O2− production and induction of Nox1 protein. These results suggest that p41nox and p51nox are involved in the Nox1 activation in surface mucous cells of the colon, and besides that, epithelial cells discern pathogenicities among bacteria to appropriately operate Nox1 for the host defense.