Formation of a potent respiratory inhibitor at nitrite reduction by nitrite reductase isolated from the bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans.

A new method of dissimilatory nitrite reductase (cytochrome cd1) isolation from the periplasmic fraction of anaerobically grown cells of the bacterium Paracoccus denitrificans was developed, using ionex and gel permeation chromatography with FPLC system (Pharmacia, Sweden). In experiments with isolated enzyme it was shown that through a nitrite reduction, catalysed by this enzyme, a substance (presumably nitric oxide) was formed which at submicromolar concentrations inhibited terminal cytochrome oxidase of the respiratory chain of the same bacterium. These results help to explain formerly observed sensitivity of bacterial oxidase activity to NO2- and the mechanism of switching the electron flow from O2 to nitrogen terminal acceptors.