Nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria

Authors
Publication date 2008
Book title Encyclopedia of life sciences
ISBN
  • 9780470015902
Chapter A21159
Number of pages 9
Publisher [Chichester]: Wiley
Organisations
  • Faculty of Science (FNWI) - Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED)
Abstract Cyanobacteria are oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria that are widespread in marine,
freshwater and terrestrial environments and many of them are capable of fixing
atmospheric nitrogen. But ironically, nitrogenase, the enzyme that is responsible for the reduction of N2, is extremely sensitive to O2. Therefore, oxygenic photosynthesis and N2 fixation are not compatible. Hence, cyanobacteria had to evolve a variety of strategies circumventing this paradox allowing them to grow at the expense of N2, a ubiquitous source of nitrogen.
Document type Chapter
Language English
Related publication Nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria
Published at https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470015902.a0021159
Permalink to this page
Back