Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) has a major role in the Earth's nitrogen cycle and is used in energy-efficient wastewater treatment. This bacterial process combines nitrite and ammonium to form dinitrogen (N2) gas, and has been estimated to synthesize up to 50% of the dinitrogen gas emitted into our atmosphere from the oceans. Strikingly, the anammox process relies on the highly unusual, extremely reactive intermediate hydrazine, a compound also used as a rocket fuel because of its high reducing power. So far, the enzymatic mechanism by which hydrazine is synthesized is unknown. Here we report the 2.7 Å resolution crystal structure, as well as biophysical and spectroscopic studies, of a hydrazine synthase multiprotein complex isolated from the anammox organism Kuenenia stuttgartiensis. The structure shows an elongated dimer of heterotrimers, each of which has two unique c-type haem-containing active sites, as well as an interaction point for a redox partner. Furthermore, a system of tunnels connects these active sites. The crystal structure implies a two-step mechanism for hydrazine synthesis: a three-electron reduction of nitric oxide to hydroxylamine at the active site of the γ-subunit and its subsequent condensation with ammonia, yielding hydrazine in the active centre of the α-subunit. Our results provide the first, to our knowledge, detailed structural insight into the mechanism of biological hydrazine synthesis, which is of major significance for our understanding of the conversion of nitrogenous compounds in nature.

Electron transport, or oxidative phosphorylation, is one of the hallmarks of life. To this end, prokaryotes evolved a vast variety of protein complexes, only a small part of which have been discovered and studied. These protein complexes allow them to occupy virtually every ecological niche on Earth. Here, we applied the method of proteomics-based complexome profiling to get a better understanding of the electron transport systems of the anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria, the N2-producing key players of the global nitrogen cycle. By this method nearly all respiratory complexes that were previously predicted from genome analysis to be involved in energy and cell carbon fixation were validated. More importantly, new and unexpected ones were discovered. We believe that complexome profiling in concert with (meta)genomics offers great opportunities to expand our knowledge on bacterial respiratory processes at a rapid and massive pace, in particular in new and thus far poorly investigated non-model and environmentally-relevant species.

The metallobiochemistry underlying the formation of the inorganic N-N-bond-containing molecules nitrous oxide (N 2 O), dinitrogen (N 2 ), and hydrazine (N 2 H 4 ) is essential to the lifestyles of diverse organisms. Similar reactions hold promise as means to use N-based fuels as alternative, carbon-free energy sources. This review discusses research efforts to understand the mechanisms underlying biological N-N bond formation in primary metabolism and how the associated reactions are tied to energy transduction and organismal survival. These efforts comprise studies of both natural and engineered metalloenzymes, as well as synthetic model complexes.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is a major process in the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle in which nitrite and ammonium are converted to dinitrogen gas and water through the highly reactive intermediate hydrazine. So far, it is unknown how anammox organisms convert the toxic hydrazine into nitrogen and harvest the extremely low potential electrons (−750 mV) released in this process. We report the crystal structure and cryo electron microscopy structures of the responsible enzyme, hydrazine dehydrogenase, which is a 1.7 MDa multiprotein complex containing an extended electron transfer network of 192 heme groups spanning the entire complex. This unique molecular arrangement suggests a way in which the protein stores and releases the electrons obtained from hydrazine conversion, the final step in the globally important anammox process.

The most abundant transition metal in biological systems is iron. It is incorporated into protein cofactors and serves either catalytic, redox or regulatory purposes. Anaerobic ammonium oxidizing (anammox) bacteria rely heavily on iron-containing proteins - especially cytochromes - for their energy conservation, which occurs within a unique organelle, the anammoxosome. Both their anaerobic lifestyle and the presence of an additional cellular compartment challenge our understanding of iron processing. Here, we combine existing concepts of iron uptake, utilization and metabolism, and cellular fate with genomic and still limited biochemical and physiological data on anammox bacteria to propose pathways these bacteria may employ.