Nature Communications (Dec 2016)

The in vivo hydrocarbon formation by vanadium nitrogenase follows a secondary metabolic pathway

  • Johannes G. Rebelein,
  • Chi Chung Lee,
  • Yilin Hu,
  • Markus W. Ribbe

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13641
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 6

Abstract

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Nitrogenases reduce inorganic nitrogen to organic ammonia in a crucial step of the nitrogen cycle. Here the authors show that the vanadium-nitrogenase ofAzotobacter vinelandii can also catalyse the in vivoconversion of carbon monoxide to hydrocarbons in a secondary non-biosynthetic pathway.