Nitric oxide directly regulates gene expression during Drosophila development: Need some gas to drive into metamorphosis?

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important second messenger involved in numerous biological processes, but how it regulates gene expression is not well understood. In this issue of Genes & Development, Cáceres and colleagues (pp. 1476-1485) report a critical requirement of NO as a direct regulator of gene expression through its binding to a heme-containing nuclear receptor in Drosophila. This may be an anciently evolved mechanism to coordinate behavior and metabolism during animal development.