Prediction of Isotope Effects for Anticipated Intermediate Structures in the Course of Bacterial Denitrification

Abstract

Vibrational-analysis methods have been used to estimate the equilibrium 14N/15N isotope effects to be expected for conversion of nitrite anion to thirteen possible intermediate-state and productstate structures [HONO, NO+ , NO, NO-, FeNO, ON*NO2, O*NNO2, O2NNO2, ONO*N, O*NON, ONNO, *NNO, N*NO] in the reduction of nitrite ion to nitrous oxide denitrifying bacteria. The results, taken in combination with previous experimental isotope-effect and tracer studies of the Pseudomonas stutzeri and related systems, are consistent with a suggestion that a second nitrite anion enters the enzyme-catalytic cycle at the stage of a nitrosyl-ion intermediate but re-emerges after entry of the reducing electrons; the product nitrous oxide is then formed by disproportionation of enzymically generated hyponitrous acid. The calculations are consistent with contributions, under different experimental conditions, of several different transition states to limiting the rate of the enzymic reaction. These transition states (and the corresponding experimental conditions) are the transition states for N -O fission in the generation of a mononitrogen electrophilic species from nitrite anion (high reductant, high nitrite concentrations), for attack of nitrite on this electrophile (high reductant, low nitrite concentrations) and for electron transfer to a dinitrogen-trioxide-like species (low reductant concentration).