Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1981 Dec;148(3):884–888. doi: 10.1128/jb.148.3.884-888.1981

Feedback inhibition of nitrogenase.

J K Gordon, V K Shah, W J Brill
PMCID: PMC216288  PMID: 7031035

Abstract

No inhibition of nitrogenase activity by physiological levels of NH4+ or carbamyl phosphate was observed in extracts of Azotobacter vinelandii. All of the 15N2 reduced by cultures which received no NH4+ was found in the cells. By contrast, more than 95% of the 15N2 reduced by cultures which had been given NH4+ was found in the medium. Failure to examine the culture medium would lead to the erroneous conclusion that N2 fixation is inhibited by NH4+. Nitrogenase in a derepressed mutant strain of A. vinelandii was fully active in vivo in the presence of NH4+. The addition of NH4Cl to N2-fixing cultures resulted in no decrease in the N2-reducing activity of intact cells of Klebsiella pneumoniae or Clostridium pasteurianum and only a small (15%) decrease in A. vinelandii. Therefore, no significant inhibition of nitrogenase by NH4+ or metabolites derived from NH4+ exists in A. vinelandii, K. pneumoniae, or C. pasteurianum.

Full text

PDF
887

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. BULEN W. A., BURNS R. C., LECOMTE J. R. NITROGEN FIXATION: HYDROSULFITE AS ELECTRON DONOR WITH CELL-FREE PREPARATIONS OF AZOTOBACTER VINELANDII AND RHODOSPIRILLUM RUBRUM. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1965 Mar;53:532–539. doi: 10.1073/pnas.53.3.532. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Burris R. H., Wilson P. W. Ammonia as an Intermediate in Nitrogen Fixation by Azotobacter. J Bacteriol. 1946 Nov;52(5):505–512. doi: 10.1128/jb.52.5.505-512.1946. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. CARNAHAN J. E., MORTENSON L. E., MOWER H. F., CASTLE J. E. Nitrogen fixation in cell-free extracts of Clostridium pasteurianum. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1960 Nov 18;44:520–535. doi: 10.1016/0006-3002(60)91606-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Daesch G., Mortenson L. E. Effect of ammonia on the synthesis and function of the N 2 -fixing enzyme system in Clostridium pasteurianum. J Bacteriol. 1972 Apr;110(1):103–109. doi: 10.1128/jb.110.1.103-109.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Drozd J. W., Tubb R. S., Postgate J. R. A chemostat study of the effect of fixed nitrogen sources on nitrogen fixation, membranes and free amino acids in Azotobacter chroococcum. J Gen Microbiol. 1972 Nov;73(2):221–232. doi: 10.1099/00221287-73-2-221. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gordon J. K., Brill W. J. Mutants that produce nitrogenase in the presence of ammonia. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1972 Dec;69(12):3501–3503. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.12.3501. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hardy R. W., Holsten R. D., Jackson E. K., Burns R. C. The acetylene-ethylene assay for n(2) fixation: laboratory and field evaluation. Plant Physiol. 1968 Aug;43(8):1185–1207. doi: 10.1104/pp.43.8.1185. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jones B. L., Monty K. J. Glutamine as a feedback inhibitor of the Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides nitrogenase system. J Bacteriol. 1979 Sep;139(3):1007–1013. doi: 10.1128/jb.139.3.1007-1013.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Kleiner D. Quantitative relations for the repression of nitrogenase synthesis in Azotobacter vinelandii by ammonia. Arch Microbiol. 1974;101(2):153–159. doi: 10.1007/BF00455935. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Laane C., Krone W., Konings W., Haaker H., Veeger C. Short-term effect of ammonium chloride on nitrogen fixation by Azotobacter vinelandii and by bacteroids of Rhizobium leguminosarum. Eur J Biochem. 1980 Jan;103(1):39–46. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1980.tb04286.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Laurell C. B. Quantitative estimation of proteins by electrophoresis in agarose gel containing antibodies. Anal Biochem. 1966 Apr;15(1):45–52. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(66)90246-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Ludden P. W., Burris R. H. Activating factor for the iron protein of nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Science. 1976 Oct 22;194(4263):424–426. doi: 10.1126/science.824729. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ludden P. W., Burris R. H. Purification and properties of nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum, and evidence for phosphate, ribose and an adenine-like unit covalently bound to the iron protein. Biochem J. 1978 Oct 1;175(1):251–259. doi: 10.1042/bj1750251. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ludden P. W., Burris R. H. Removal of an adenine-like molecule during activation of dinitrogenase reductase from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Dec;76(12):6201–6205. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.12.6201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Neilson A. H., Nordlund S. Regulation of nitrogenase synthesis in intact cells of Rhodospirillum rubrum: inactivation of nitrogen fixation by ammonia, L-glutamine and L-asparagine. J Gen Microbiol. 1975 Nov;91(1):53–62. doi: 10.1099/00221287-91-1-53. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nordlund S., Eriksson U. Nitrogenase from Rhodospirillum rubrum. Relation between 'switch-off' effect and the membrane component. Hydrogen production and acetylene reduction with different nitrogenase component ratios. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1979 Sep 11;547(3):429–437. doi: 10.1016/0005-2728(79)90023-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Roberts G. P., Brill W. J. Genetics and regulation of nitrogen fixation. Annu Rev Microbiol. 1981;35:207–235. doi: 10.1146/annurev.mi.35.100181.001231. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Schick H. J. Substrate and light dependent fixation of molecular nitrogen in Rhodospirillum rubrum. Arch Mikrobiol. 1971;75(2):89–101. doi: 10.1007/BF00407997. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Seto B. L., Mortenson L. E. Mechanism of carbamyl phosphate inhibition of nitrogenase of Clostridium pasteurianum. J Bacteriol. 1974 Feb;117(2):805–812. doi: 10.1128/jb.117.2.805-812.1974. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Seto B., Mortenson L. E. Effect of carbamyl phosphate on the regulation of nitrogenase in Clostridium pasteurianum. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1973 Jul 17;53(2):419–423. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(73)90678-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Shah V. K., Davis L. C., Brill W. J. Nitrogenase. I. Repression and derepression of the iron-molybdenum and iron proteins of nitrogenase in Azotobacter vinelandii. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1972 Feb 28;256(2):498–511. doi: 10.1016/0005-2728(72)90078-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Strandberg G. W., Wilson P. W. Formation of the nitrogen-fixing enzyme system in Azotobacter vinelandii. Can J Microbiol. 1968 Jan;14(1):25–31. doi: 10.1139/m68-005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sweet W. J., Burris R. H. Inhibition of nitrogenase activity by NH+4 in Rhodospirillum rubrum. J Bacteriol. 1981 Feb;145(2):824–831. doi: 10.1128/jb.145.2.824-831.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. WESTLAKE D. W., WILSON P. W. Molecular hydrogen and nitrogen fixation by Clostridium pasteurianum. Can J Microbiol. 1959 Dec;5:617–620. doi: 10.1139/m59-075. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Yoch D. C., Cantu M. Changes in the regulatory form of Rhodospirillum rubrum nitrogenase as influenced by nutritional and environmental factors. J Bacteriol. 1980 Jun;142(3):899–907. doi: 10.1128/jb.142.3.899-907.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Yoch D. C., Pengra R. M. Effect of amino acids on the nitrogenase system of Klebsiella pneumoniae. J Bacteriol. 1966 Sep;92(3):618–622. doi: 10.1128/jb.92.3.618-622.1966. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Zelitch I. Simultaneous Use of Molecular Nitrogen and Ammonia by Clostridium Pasteurianum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1951 Sep;37(9):559–565. doi: 10.1073/pnas.37.9.559. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Zumft W. G., Castillo F. Regulatory properties of the nitrogenase from Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Arch Microbiol. 1978 Apr 27;117(1):53–60. doi: 10.1007/BF00689351. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES