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Crystal structure of quinol-dependent nitric oxide reductase from Geobacillus stearothermophilus

This paper introduces the structure and mechanism of nitric oxide reductase (qNOR), a bacterial membrane enzyme which catalyzes the reduction of nitric oxide (NO) to nitrous oxide - the major ozone-depleting gas. The elucidation of the qNOR structure, along with the results of the accompanying computer simulations, have provided the full details of the proton transfer pathways. This information will help lead to the development of inhibitors which could be harnessed to reduce global NO emissions or used in antibacterial drug design. The results also allowed us to build hypotheses about transitions from anaerobic to aerobic respiration during molecular evolution.