Nitric oxide (NO) is produced by three isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and is a chemical messenger that reacts with free cysteine residues to form S-nitrothiols (SNOs). S-nitrosylation is a critical PTM used by cells to stabilize proteins, regulate gene expression and provide NO donors, and the generation, localization, activation and catabolism of SNOs are tightly regulated.

S-nitrosylation is a reversible reaction, and SNOs have a short half life in the cytoplasm because of the host of reducing enzymes, including glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin, that denitrosylate proteins. Therefore, SNOs are often stored in membranes, vesicles, the interstitial space and lipophilic protein folds to protect them from denitrosylation. For example, caspases, which mediate apoptosis, are stored in the mitochondrial intermembrane space as SNOs. In response to extra- or intracellular cues, the caspases are released into the cytoplasm, and the highly reducing environment rapidly denitrosylates the proteins, resulting in caspase activation and the induction of apoptosis.