Competitive, reversible, physiological? Inhibition of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase by nitric oxide

In the mid 1990s a number of research groups recognized that mitochondrial oxygen consumption could be reversibly inhibited by nitric oxide at the level of the enzyme cytochrome c oxidase. The inhibition was apparently competitive with respect to the oxygen concentration. This review critically assesses the present state of knowledge as regards the hypothesis that nitric oxide is a competitive, reversible, physiological inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase.