Anammox Biochemistry: a Tale of Heme c Proteins.
Anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria are one of the latest scientific discoveries in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle. These microorganisms are able to oxidize ammonium (NH4+) with nitrite (NO2-) as the oxidant instead of oxygen and form dinitrogen (N2) as the end product. Recent research has shed a light on the biochemistry underlying anammox metabolism with two key intermediates, nitric oxide (NO) and hydrazine (N2H4). Substrates and intermediates are converted exploiting the catalytic and electron-transfer potentials of c-type heme proteins known from numerous biochemical reactions and that have acquired new functionality in anammox biochemistry. On a global scale, anammox bacteria significantly contribute to the removal of fixed nitrogen from the environment and the process finds rapidly increasing interest in wastewater treatment.
Microbial Physiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany. Electronic address: bkartal@mpi-bremen.de.
Boran
B
Kartal
Department of Microbiology, Institute of Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Jan T
JT
Keltjens
D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020134:Catalytic Domain; D004579:Electron Transport; D015870:Gene Expression; D006418:Heme / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006420:Hemeproteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006834:Hydrazines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009573:Nitrites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D061328:Planctomycetales / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011485:Protein Binding; D000072756:Protein Conformation, alpha-Helical; D000072757:Protein Conformation, beta-Strand; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D006420:Hemeproteins; D006834:Hydrazines; D009573:Nitrites; C031690:heme C; C029424:hydrazine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D006418:Heme; D009584:Nitrogen
anammox; heme proteins; hydrazine; nitric oxide