Research report 2016 - Max Planck Institute for Medical Research
Rocket fuel in bacteria
Authors
Dietl, Andreas; Barends, Thomas
Departments
Biomolekulare Mechanismen
Summary
The exchange of nitrogen between the atmosphere and organic matter is crucial for life on Earth. One major route for this cycle, discovered only in the 1990s, is the anammox pathway that is found in certain bacteria. It proceeds via hydrazine, a highly reactive substance used by humans as a rocket fuel. A study of the structure of the enzymes involved in making and handling hydrazine in the bacterial cell offers striking insights into the possibilities of an unconventional intracellular chemistry.