Environment & Climate
Researchers discover deep-sea enzyme that fixes nitrogen at extreme heat
ScienceDaily reports that a microbe's enzyme survives temperatures up to 98 °C while converting nitrogen to ammonia.
The short version
- Scientists isolated a heat-resistant nitrogenase enzyme from the deep-sea archaeon Methanocaldococcus infernus, which active only at high temperatures.[ScienceDaily]
- The enzyme retains its structural integrity at up to 98 °C and only begins to break apart at 90 °C.[ScienceDaily]
- Researchers observed structural traits and a turnover state that suggest a shared evolutionary background among different nitrogenase families.[ScienceDaily]
Key facts
- The nitrogenase enzyme from Methanocaldococcus infernus functions at temperatures exceeding 90 °C and remains partially intact at 98 °C.[ScienceDaily]
- The enzyme is inactive at room temperature and only converts nitrogen to ammonia under extreme heat.[ScienceDaily]
- Structural analysis revealed features common to molybdenum, vanadium, and iron-only forms of nitrogenase.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- The laboratory experiments required completely oxygen-free environments because exposure to oxygen irreversibly damages the enzyme's metallocofactors.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- This deep-sea enzyme survives heat that destroys most proteinsScienceDaily - Environment