The kinetics of the reduction of isocyanides, acetylenes and the cyanide ion by nitrogenase preparation from Azotobacter chroococcum and the effects of inhibitors

Abstract

1. Nitrogen-fixing preparations from Azotobacter chroococcum reduced substrates with the following Km values: methyl isocyanide, 1·8×10−4m; ethyl isocyanide, 2·5×10−2m; cyanide ion, 1·4×10−3m; acetylene, 1·2×10−4m. 2. Nitrogen, carbon monoxide or hydrogen competitively inhibited isocyanide reduction with the following Ki values: hydrogen, 1·3×10−3m; carbon monoxide, 6·8×10−6m; nitrogen, 4·3×10−4m. 3. Living nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and isolated clover nodules, formed methane from methyl isocyanide. 4. These results are discussed in relation to other work and possible mechanisms of nitrogen fixation.