Bacterial nitrate reductases: Molecular and biological aspects of nitrate reduction

Nitrogen is a vital component in living organisms as it participates in the making of essential biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, etc. In the biosphere, nitrogen cycles between the oxidation states +V and -III producing many species that constitute the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen. A...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: González, P.J., Correia, C., Moura, Isabel, Brondino, Carlos Dante, Moura, J.J.G.
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2006
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/106573
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/106573
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Nitrogen cycle
Mononuclear Mo-containing enzymes
Respiratory nitrate reductase
Periplasmic nitrate reductase
Assimilatory nitrate reductase
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
Description
Summary:Nitrogen is a vital component in living organisms as it participates in the making of essential biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, etc. In the biosphere, nitrogen cycles between the oxidation states +V and -III producing many species that constitute the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen. All reductive branches of this cycle involve the conversion of nitrate to nitrite, which is catalyzed by the enzyme nitrate reductase. The characterization of nitrate reductases from prokaryotic organisms has allowed us to gain considerable information on the molecular basis of nitrate reduction. Prokaryotic nitrate reductases are mononuclear Mo-containing enzymes sub-grouped as respiratory nitrate reductases, periplasmic nitrate reductases and assimilatory nitrate reductases. We review here the biological and molecular properties of these three enzymes along with their gene organization and expression, which are necessary to understand the biological processes involved in nitrate reduction.