Nitrite and hydroxylamine as nitrogenase substrates: mechanistic implications for the pathway of N₂ reduction.

ABSTRACT: Investigations of reduction of nitrite (NO2(-)) to ammonia (NH3) by nitrogenase indicate a limiting stoichiometry, NO2(-) + 6e(-) + 12ATP + 7H(+) → NH3 + 2H2O + 12ADP + 12Pi. Two intermediates freeze-trapped during NO2(-) turnover by nitrogenase variants and investigated by Q-band ENDOR/ESEEM are identical to states, denoted H and I, formed on the pathway of N2 reduction. The proposed NO2(-) reduction intermediate hydroxylamine (NH2OH) is a nitrogenase substrate for which the H and I reduction intermediates also can be trapped. Viewing N2 and NO2(-) reductions in light of their common reduction intermediates and of NO2(-) reduction by multiheme cytochrome c nitrite reductase (ccNIR) leads us to propose that NO2(-) reduction by nitrogenase begins with the generation of NO2H bound to a state

SUBMITTER: Shaw S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4160268 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature