REVIEW: Nitrate Reductases: Structure, Functions, and Effect of Stress Factors

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E. V. Morozkina^* and R. A. Zvyagilskaya

Bach Institute of Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia; fax: (495) 954-2732; E-mail: Chicelena@yandex.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received July 14, 2007

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Structural and functional peculiarities of four types of nitrate reductases are considered: assimilatory nitrate reductase of eukaryotes, as well as cytoplasmic assimilatory, membrane-bound respiratory, and periplasmic dissimilatory bacterial nitrate reductases. Arguments are presented showing that eukaryotic organisms are capable of nitrate dissimilation. Data concerning new classes of extremophil nitrate reductases, whose active center does not contain molybdocofactor, are summarized.

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KEY WORDS: nitrate reductase, nitrification, denitrification, molybdenum, molybdenum cofactor, molybdopterin-guanine dinucleotides, stress

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297907100124

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