title: Pyruvate and ethanol as electron donors for nitrite reduction by Escherichia coli K12.
abstract: Pyruvate and ethanol were both effective electron donors for nitrite reduction by Escherichia coli K12. The pyruvate-dependent rate decreased by approximately 50% when either a cysG mutation, which results in loss of NADH-dependent nitrite reductase activity (EC 1.6.6.4), or a chl mutation, which results in loss of the formate-nitrite oxidoreductase activity, was introduced into the prototrophic parental strain CGSC4315. A double mutant deficient in both of these previously described activities retained only 2% of the rate of nitrite reduction of the parental strain after growth on glucose or 5% after growth on pyruvate. We conclude that any third pathway for nitrite reduction contributes little to the in vivo rate of nitrite reduction by wild-type strains.
mesh_terms: D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009573:Nitrites; D011773:Pyruvates; D000431:Ethanol; D005947:Glucose