Current Understanding of the Biosynthetic and Catalytic Mechanisms of Mo-Nitrogenase

Nitrogenase catalyzes a critical step in the global nitrogen cycle: the ambient conversion of the atmospheric dinitrogen into the bioavailable ammonia. Extensive studies in the past decades have established this complex metalloenzyme as a unique two-component system that utilizes some of the most sophisticated metalloclusters known to date for substrate reduction. This article will provide an overview of the current knowledge of the biosynthetic and catalytic mechanisms of nitrogenase, with a focus on the Mo-dependent form of this enzyme.