New study sheds light on evolutionary origin of oxygen-based cellular respiration
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 - 10:31
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers in Japan have clarified the crystal structure of quinol dependent nitric oxide reductase (qNOR), a bacterial enzyme that offers clues on the origins of our earliest oxygen-breathing ancestors. In addition to their importance to fundamental science, the findings provide key insights into the production of nitrogen oxide, an ozone-depleting and greenhouse gas hundreds of times more potent than carbon dioxide.