title: A journey into the active center of nitrogenase.
abstract: Nitrogenase catalyzes the reduction of N2 to NH3, a key step in the global nitrogen cycle. This article describes our journey toward the definition of a complete molecular structure of the active site of nitrogenase, with an emphasis on the discovery of the interstitial carbide and the radical SAM-dependent insertion of this atom into the active FeMo cofactor site of nitrogenase.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, 2230 McGaugh Hall, Irvine, CA, 92697-3900, USA, yilinh@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Yilin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Markus W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Ribbe
mesh_terms: D055162:Biocatalysis; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009591:Nitrogenase / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009591:Nitrogenase
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