Nitrosomonas, electron transport chain

The overall reaction is energy yielding, and allows sufficient ATP production to support reverse electron transport for CO2 fixation. However, the first step, oxidation of NH3 to hydroxylamine, requires the input of reducing power. The second step, hydroxylamine oxidation, yields four electrons. These join the electron transport chain at the level of ubiquinone, from which two are shunted back to AMO for activation of NH3. The N oxidation and electron transport pathways in Nitrosomonas are linked in the cytoplasmic membrane and periplasmic space detailed information from the N. europaea genome (Chain et al., 2003) is consistent with the previous biochemical characterizations of the system (Whittaker et al., 2000). Depending on conditions (and enhanced at low oxygen concentrations), nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O) and even dinitrogen gas (N2) have been reported as secondary products... 

Figure 18-19 The ammonia oxidation system of the bacterium Nitrosomonas. Oxidation of ammonium ion (as free NH3) according to Eq. 18-17 is catalyzed hy two enzymes. The location of ammonia monooxygenase (step a) is uncertain but hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (step b) is periplas-mic. The membrane components resemble complexes I, III, and IV of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (Fig. 18-5) and are assumed to have similar proton pumps. Solid green lines trace the flow of electrons in the energy-producing reactions. This includes flow of electrons to the ammonia monoxygenase. Complexes HI and IV pump protons out but complex I catalyzes reverse electron transport for a fraction of the electrons from hydroxylamine oxidoreductase to NAD+. Modified from Blaut and Gottschalk.315...

HAO catalyzes the four-electron oxidation of hydroxylamine to nitrite. " It is present in autotrophic nitrifying bacteria, like Nitrosomonas, which are obligate chemolithotrophs that use the oxidation of ammonia as their sole energy source. For each cycle of hydroxylamine oxidation, two electrons are returned for the initial step of ammonia oxidation and the other two are either transferred to the terminal oxidase via the components of the respiratory chain, or used to generate NADH by reverse electron transport. 

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