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Nitrogenases—A Tale of Carbon Atom(s)
Author(s) -
Hu Yilin,
Ribbe Markus W.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201600010
Subject(s) - nitrogenase , chemistry , carbon fibers , sulfur , cofactor , carbon monoxide , carbide , stereochemistry , photochemistry , nitrogen , catalysis , materials science , organic chemistry , nitrogen fixation , enzyme , composite number , composite material
Named after its ability to catalyze the reduction of nitrogen to ammonia, nitrogenase has a surprising rapport with carbon—both through the interstitial carbide that resides in the central cavity of its cofactor and through its ability to catalyze the reductive carbon–carbon coupling of small carbon compounds into hydrocarbon products. Recently, a radical‐SAM‐dependent pathway was revealed for the insertion of carbide, which signifies a novel biosynthetic route to complex bridged metalloclusters. Moreover, a sulfur‐displacement mechanism was proposed for the activation of carbon monoxide by nitrogenase, which suggests an essential role of the interstitial carbide in maintaining the stability while permitting a certain flexibility of the cofactor structure during substrate turnover.