Recent mechanistic developments for cytochrome c nitrite reductase, the key enzyme in the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium pathway

J Inorg Biochem. 2024 Mar 24;256:112542. doi: 10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112542. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTCytochrome c nitrite reductase, NrfA, is a soluble, periplasmic pentaheme cytochrome responsible for the reduction of nitrite to ammonium in the Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium (DNRA) pathway, a vital reaction in the global nitrogen cycle. NrfA catalyzes this six-electron and eight-proton reduction of nitrite at a single active site with the help of its quinol oxidase partners. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in elucidating the reaction mechanism of ammonia production, including new findings about the active site architecture of NrfA, as well as recent results that elucidate electron transfer and storage in the pentaheme scaffold of this enzyme.PMID:38631103 | DOI:10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2024.112542

Source: Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry - April 17, 2024 Category: Biochemistry Authors: Krystina Hird Julius O Campeci ño Nicolai Lehnert Eric L Hegg Source Type: research