Abstract
The activity ofNocardia V. nitro-reductase appears to vary considerably during the life cycle of the culture. The optimal conditions found for the formation of the highest amount of enzyme per unit dry weight of cell were: incubation of the organism in a medium containing salts, glucose, and sodium glutamate at pH 7.4 for 28–30 hr at about 29–30 C. TheNocardia nitro-reductase is a constitutive enzyme in contrast to the adaptive nitrate- and nitrite-reductases in other organisms. The enzyme requires a sulphydryl compound for activity and uses reduced pyridine nucleotides as the electron donor for the reduction of nitro-groups. The only reduction product found when usingp-dinitrobenzene as substrate of the nitro-reductase isp-nitroaniline. This compound has been identified by electrophoresis, spectroscopy, melting point, chemical derivatives and elementary analysis. No evidence has been obtained which indicates the nature of the intermediate steps in the biological reduction of nitro-groups.
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Villanueva, J.R. Nitro-reductase from aNocardia sp.. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 30, 17–32 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02046697
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02046697