Nitrous Oxide-forming Codenitrification Catalyzed by Cytochrome P450nor

Abstract

Intact cells of the denitrifying fungus Fusarium oxysporum were previously shown to catalyze codenitrification to form a hybrid nitrous oxide (N₂O) species from nitrite and other nitrogen compounds such as azide and ammonia. Here we show that cytochrome P450nor can catalyze the codenitrification reaction to form N₂O from nitric oxide (NO) but not nitrite, and azide or ammonia. The results show that the direct substrate of the codenitrification by intact cells should not be nitrite but NO, which is formed from nitrite by the reaction of a dissimilatory nitrite reductase.