"Nitric oxide seems to be turning up in a lot of different places, and this is one of the most unusual places. It's a really novel finding," said Lewis.
Helen Ghiradella, a firefly expert at the University of Albany in New York, agrees. "In terms of understanding what a cell can do, it's amazing. It's big news in a lot of senses," she said.
Broader Implications?
The finding may shed light outside the flashy world of the firefly. "It could have important consequences for looking at nitric oxide signaling in humans," said Trimmer.
"This is a very exciting new way of thinking about how cells talk to each other," said Carl Nathan, an expert on nitric oxide at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. "It very likely does serve a purpose in humans—we just don't know what the purpose is."
Trimmer attributes the success of the study to a unique collaboration of scientists from diverse disciplines.
Other authors were Thomas Michel, a cardiologist from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and June Aprille, a cell biologist from Tufts.
Copyright 2001 The Dallas Morning News.
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