Abstract
The iron (Fe) proteins of molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V) nitrogenases mimic carbon monoxide (CO) dehydrogenase in catalyzing the interconversion between CO2 and CO under ambient conditions. Catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO is achieved in vitro and in vivo upon redox changes of the Fe-protein-associated [Fe4S4] clusters. These observations establish the Fe protein as a model for investigation of CO2 activation while suggesting its biotechnological adaptability for recycling the greenhouse gas into useful products.
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Acknowledgements
This work is supported by UCI startup funds and a Hellman Fellowship (to Y.H.).
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J.G.R., M.T.S. and C.C.L. performed experiments and analyzed data; Y.H. designed experiments, analyzed data and wrote the paper.
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Rebelein, J., Stiebritz, M., Lee, C. et al. Activation and reduction of carbon dioxide by nitrogenase iron proteins. Nat Chem Biol 13, 147–149 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2245
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchembio.2245
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