Molybdenum-iron protein, nitrogenase properties

The iron-sulfur cubes that have been detected by x-ray analysis (49) as constituents of the enzymes ferridoxin and high-potential iron protein have been extruded from these enzymes by replacing the sulf-hydryl ligands of the enzymes with simple mercaptans, and these cubes identified with the corresponding synthetic compounds, II (50, 51, 52, 53). The latter have oxidation-reduction properties that closely mimic those of the enzymes. Similarly, an iron-sulfur-molybdenum double cube has been ejected from nitrogenase, and a similar double cube has been synthesized by Holm and his collaborators (54). It remains to be seen whether or not the iron-sulfur-molybdenum double cube can mimic the properties of nitrogenase (55). 

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