Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Biochemistry

Utah State University

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

2021

Nitrogenase

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Investigations Of Substrate Reduction By Nitrogenase: Light Powered Substrate Reduction By A Cds:Femoco System And Understanding Dinitrogen Inhibition Of Electron Transfer, Hayden Kallas May 2021

Investigations Of Substrate Reduction By Nitrogenase: Light Powered Substrate Reduction By A Cds:Femoco System And Understanding Dinitrogen Inhibition Of Electron Transfer, Hayden Kallas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nitrogen fixation is a key step of the nitrogen cycle which makes biologically inert N2 gas available for organisms to use in the form of ammonia. Nitrogen fixing microorganisms all contain the same enzyme called nitrogenase which catalyzes the six electron transfers to N2 required for conversion into ammonia. Nitrogenase is a two-component enzyme that contains a cofactor composed of iron and sulfur as well as heavier metals whose identity can be molybdenum, vanadium, or an additional iron atom depending on the variant. The two components of nitrogenase are the MFe protein and the Fe protein. The Fe …