Development of nitrogenase (40--140 nmol C2H4.mg protein-1.h-1) in Rhizobium japonicum 61-A-101 after transfer to special culture conditions (medium 20 P, 2% O2, 10% CO2, 88% N2 in the gas phase) is inhibited by chloramphenicol (6 X 10(-4)--10(-3) M) and by rifampicin (10(-5) M). These concentrations do not inhibit the slow growth of the cells under these conditions with a doubling time of the ...

Nitrogenase reduces dinitrogen at one of its iron–sulfur cores to produce ammonia by a convoluted mechanism. Now, research highlights the importance sulfur mobility on nitrogenase’s metallocofactors for nitrogen fixation.

The inhibitory effect of nitrate on nitrogenase activity in root nodules of legume plants has been known for a long time. The major factor inducing changes in nitrogenase activity is the concentration of free oxygen inside nodules. Oxygen availability in the infected zone of nodule is limited, among others, by the gas diffusion resistance in nodule cortex. The presence of nitrate may cause chan...

Anabaena variabilis ATCC 29413 is a filamentous heterocystous cyanobacterium that fixes nitrogen under a variety of environmental conditions. Under aerobic growth conditions, nitrogen fixation depends upon differentiation of heterocysts and expression of either a Mo-dependent nitrogenase or a V-dependent nitrogenase in those specialized cells. Under anaerobic conditions, a second Mo-dependent n...

Nitrogen availability is crucial for crop yield with nitrogen fertilizer accounting for a large percentage of farmers' expenses. However, an untimely or excessive application of fertilizer can increase risks of negative environmental effects. These factors, along with the environmental and energy costs of synthesizing nitrogen fertilizer, led us to seek out novel biotechnology-driven approaches...

The nucleotide sequence of nifH, the structural gene for nitrogenase reductase (component II or Fe protein of nitrogenase) from the cyanobacterium Anabaena 7120 has been determined. Also reported are 194 bases of the 5'-flanking sequence and 170 bases of the 3'-flanking sequence. The predicted amino acid sequence was compared with that determined for the complete nitrogenase reductase of Clostr...

In whole cells of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides, nitrogen fixation, as measured by hydrogen production and acetylene reduction, was totally inhibited by micromolar concentrations of ammonia. This inhibition could not be duplicated by glutamate or glutamine alone. The inhibition by ammonia was abolished by methionine sulfoximine, a glutamine synthetase inhibitor. Inhibition by glutamine was compl...

No inhibition of nitrogenase activity by physiological levels of NH4+ or carbamyl phosphate was observed in extracts of Azotobacter vinelandii. All of the 15N2 reduced by cultures which received no NH4+ was found in the cells. By contrast, more than 95% of the 15N2 reduced by cultures which had been given NH4+ was found in the medium. Failure to examine the culture medium would lead to the erro...

HetR gene is a key regulator of heterocyst differentiation in filamentous cyanobacteria. It has been previously isolated and characterized from heterocystous cyanobacterium like Anabaena that has intercalary heterocysts and from non-heterocystous cyanobacteria like Trichodesmium and Symploca PCC 8002. This study reports the characterization of hetR gene from Cylindrospermum stagnale A1345, a cy...

Cellular differentiation can be observed in certain filamentous blue-green algae after transfer of the cells from medium containing NH(4) (+) or NO(3) (-) to nitrogen-free medium. The appearance of differentiated cells (heterocysts) is accompanied by an increase in the activity of nitrogenase, an enzyme complex that reduces N(2) to NH(3). We have separated vegetative cells from heterocysts in d...