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Nitrite was able to strongly inhibit C 2 H 2 reduction by nitrogenase from soybean bacteroids, whereas H 2 evolution was unaffected under the same conditions. NO inhibited both C 2 H 2 reduction and H 2 evolution; during C 2 H 2 reduction, sensitivity of nitrogenase to NO was higher than to NO 2 − , and the K i values were, respectively, 0.056 and 0.52 mM. Production of NO resulting from a reduction of NO 2 − by dithionite in nitrogenase incubations was observed. However, the characteristics of inhibitions and the low level of NO generated by nitrite reduction ruled out the suggestion concerning a direct role of NO to explain the inhibitory effect of NO 2 − on nitrogenase.
Trinchant et al. (Wed,) studied this question.