Jwb. Moir et al., THE BIOCHEMICAL-CHARACTERIZATION OF A NOVEL NON-HEME-IRON HYDROXYLAMINE OXIDASE FROM PARACOCCUS-DENITRIFICANS GB17, Biochemical journal, 319, 1996, pp. 823-827
The characterization of the hydroxylamine oxidase from the heterotroph
ic nitrifier Paracoccus denitrificans GB17 indicates the enzyme to be
entirely distinct from the hydroxylamine oxidase from the autotrophic
nitrifier Nitrosomonas europaea. Hydroxylamine oxidase from P. denitri
ficans contains three to five non-haem, non-iron-sulphur iron atoms as
prosthetic groups, predominantly co-ordinated by carboxylate ligands.
The interaction of the enzyme with the electron-accepting proteins cy
tochrome c(550) and pseudoazurin is mainly hydrophobic. The catalytic
mechanism of hydroxylamine oxidase from P. denitrificans is different
from the enzyme from N. europaea because the production of nitrite by
the former requires molecular oxygen. Under anaerobic conditions the e
nzyme makes nitrous oxide as a sole product.