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Mechanism of nitrite oxidation and oxidoreductase systems inNitrobacter agilis

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Abstract

Chemiosmotic coupling mechanisms operate in the electron transfer reactions from: nitrite to O2, NO2 − to NAD+, ascorbate to O2, NADH to O2, and NADH to NO3 −. The enzyme systems catalyzing these reactions are named NO2 −:O2 oxidoreductase, ATP-dependent NO2 −:NAD+ oxidoreductase, ascorbate:O2 oxidoreductase, NADH:O2 oxidoreductase, and NADH:NO3 − oxidoreductase, respectively. All of the oxidoreduction reactions are exergonic with the exception of the ATP-dependent NO2 −:NAD+ oxidoreductase system, which involves reversed electron flow against the thermodynamic gradients. The mechanism for nitrite oxidation was found to be quite different from that of ascorbate oxidation; both systems were insensitive, however, to rotenone, amytal, antimycin A, and 2-n-heptyl 4-hydroxyquinolineN-oxide. These compounds, on the other hand, severely inhibited the electron transfer reactions catalyzed by NADH:O2 oxidoreductase, NADH:NO3 − oxidoreductase, and the ATP-dependent NO2 −:NAD+ oxidoreductase, indicating a common pathway of electron transport in these oxidoreductase systems. Cyanide inhibited all systems except the NADH:NO3 − oxidoredctase. The uncoupler carbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenyl hydrazone strongly inhibited NO2 −:O2 oxidoreductase and ATP-dependent NO2 −:NAD+ oxidoreductase, which indicates the involvement of energy-linked reactions in both systems; the uncoupler caused a marked stimulation of the NADH:O2 oxidoreductase and NADH:NO3 − oxidoreductase without affecting the ascorbate:O2 oxidoreductase activities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thomas Hunt Morgan School of Biological Sciences, University of Kentucky, 40506, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

    M. I. Hussain Allem

  2. Veterans Administration Hospital, 97225, Portland, Oregon, USA

    David L. Sewell

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  1. M. I. Hussain Allem
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  2. David L. Sewell
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Hussain Allem, M.I., Sewell, D.L. Mechanism of nitrite oxidation and oxidoreductase systems inNitrobacter agilis . Current Microbiology 5, 267–272 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01567916

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