Discovery
Nitric oxide dioxygenase was discovered, and first reported in 1998, as an inducible O2-dependent enzymatic activity that protected bacteria against nitric oxide toxicity. The enzyme was identified with the E. coli flavohemoglobin.
More recently, another protein has been identified as a NO dioxygenase - rhodobacter sphaeroides haem protein (SHP), a novel cytochrome with NO dioxygenase activity. Although the biological function of SHP has yet to be identified, SHP has been shown, that with oxygen bound, it can react rapidly with nitric oxide to form nitrate.
Read more about this topic: Nitric Oxide Dioxygenase
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