Generation of high levels of nitric oxide (NO) following induction of NOS2 by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) triggers beta cell apoptosis in insulin-secreting RINm5F cells. Mitochondrial and nuclear events such as downregulation of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, activation of the pore responsible for the permeability transition (PT) and DNA fragmentation are involved in the process. We report in the present paper that exposure of insulin-producing RINm5F cells to NO donors and to IL-1β leads to oxidative carbonylation of both Bcl-2 and the adenine nucleotide translocator (ANT) component of the mitochondrial PT pore. When the effect of endogenous generation of high concentrations of NO following exposure of cells to IL-1β was studied, carbonylation of Bcl-2 preceded downregulation of the protein. Overexpression of Mn-SOD decreases substantially the extent of Bcl-2 carbonylation in SIN-1-exposed cells. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) inhibition, carbonylation and translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus and DNA fragmentation were also induced by DETA/NO exposure. DETA/NO-induced carbonylation of Bcl-2 and ANT proteins takes place 6 h before apoptotic release of histone-associated DNA to cytoplasm. Time course studies also reveal a close parallel between GAPDH translocation to nucleus and carbonylation. Inhibitors of lipooxidation end products formation such as piridoxamine (PM) and aminoguanidine (AG) block NO-triggered carbonylation of Bcl-2, ANT and GAPDH, prevent NO-induced GAPDH enzyme inhibition and nuclear translocation and DNA fragmentation. Our results support the notion that the oxidative carbonylation of proteins plays a role in the control of NO-induced apoptosis. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.