Studies on Nitrate Reductase. VI. Acceptor Specificity of the Enzyme

Evidence is presented to indicate that ethyl nitrate, nitromethane, and possibly also nitrourea are not able to accept hydrogen from nitrate reductase system of E. coli. p-Nitrobenzoic acid is reduced to p-aminobenzoic acid by the action of the dried cells of E. coli to a small extent. This reduction is, however, not achieved by nitrate reductase. Nitrite reductase contained in the organism is responsible for the reduction of aromatic nitro groups.