''E. coli'' nitroreductase is a
flavoprotein found in the
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among ...
''
Escherichia coli
''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...
''. It catalyses the reduction of
nitro groups in a wide range of substrates to produce the corresponding
hydroxylamine. Although its role ''
in vivo
Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...
'' is unclear, it has been identified as useful in the metabolism of a number of
prodrug
A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug ...
s in anti-cancer
gene therapy
Gene therapy is a medical field which focuses on the genetic modification of cells to produce a therapeutic effect or the treatment of disease by repairing or reconstructing defective genetic material. The first attempt at modifying human DN ...
.
There are at least two oxygen-insensitive
nitroreductase
Nitroreductases are a family of evolutionarily related proteins involved in the reduction of nitrogen-containing compounds, including those containing the nitro functional group. Members of this family utilise flavin mononucleotide as a cofacto ...
s in ''E. coli''. The major one is ''NfsA'' (, EC 1.7.1.B3). The other is ''NfsB'' (,
EC 1.5.1.34).
See also
*
Reduction of nitro compounds
The reduction of nitro compounds are chemical reactions of wide interest in organic chemistry. The conversion can be effected by many reagents. The nitro group was one of the first functional groups to be reduced. Alkyl and aryl nitro compounds ...
References
{{protein-stub
Bacterial enzymes