The mechanism of thionitrite decomposition, both in vivo and in vitro, remains unclear. Thionitrite stability is highly variable; it is a complex function of thionitrite structure and environmental condition. Several recent advances clarify the role of unimolecular homlytic decomposition, metal-catalyzed reductive decomposition and higher-order enzymatic and non-enzymatic processes to the overall observed stability of thionitrites.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Medicine, MSRB Room 312, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. staml001@mc.duke.edu