Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Superoxide reductase: fact or fiction?

Michael W W Adams1, Francis E Jenney, Michael D Clay

  • 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens 30602, USA. adams@bmb.uga.edu

Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry : JBIC : a Publication of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry
|June 20, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Anaerobic microorganisms utilize a novel superoxide reductase (SOR) enzyme for reactive oxygen species detoxification. This pathway, validated by extensive data, reduces superoxide to hydrogen peroxide, but the peroxide

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Classification of tungsten-containing oxidoreductases provides insights into their biochemical and physiological diversity.

Frontiers in microbiology·2026
Same author

The human gut microbe <i>Eubacterium limosum</i> utilizes flavodoxin over ferredoxin for lactate metabolism.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2026
Same author

Reengineering a thermostable keratinase past the boiling point.

Applied and environmental microbiology·2026
Same author

Crystallography of Extremophile Proteins-Structural Comparisons of Psychrophilic and Hyperthermophilic Rubredoxins.

Biomolecules·2026
Same author

Mechanistic implications of excited high-spin states, spin-spin coupling, and differential [2Fe-2S]<sup>+</sup> cluster temperature relaxations in the electron-bifurcating NfnABC from <i>Thermococcus sibiricus</i>.

Dalton transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)·2026
Same author

Flavin redox tuning and ferredoxin-dependent kinetics in the electron-bifurcating EtfABCX complex from Thermotoga maritima.

The Journal of biological chemistry·2026

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Microbiology
  • Enzymology

Background:

  • Anaerobic microorganisms face challenges from reactive oxygen species (ROS).
  • A novel detoxification pathway involving superoxide reductase (SOR) has been proposed.
  • SOR is a mononuclear iron-containing enzyme catalyzing superoxide reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To validate the proposed anaerobic ROS detoxification pathway centered on SOR.
  • To assess the extent to which this pathway is established in anaerobic and microaerophilic species.
  • To identify fundamental unanswered questions regarding anaerobic responses to ROS.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of accumulated experimental data from the past two years.
  • Analysis of spectroscopic and structural information of the SOR enzyme.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Evaluation of kinetic data concerning reductant sources and enzyme activity.

    • Main Results:

    • Overwhelming evidence supports superoxide reduction by SOR across various anaerobic and microaerophilic species.
    • Spectroscopic and structural data indicate the SOR iron site is tuned for superoxide reduction.
    • Kinetic analyses confirm NAD(P)H, via rubredoxin and NAD(P)H:rubredoxin oxidoreductase, as the reductant source.

    Conclusions:

    • The role of superoxide reductase (SOR) in anaerobic detoxification of reactive oxygen species is well-validated.
    • The catalytic mechanism and reductant sourcing for SOR are largely established.
    • The fate of hydrogen peroxide produced by SOR and the roles of other proteins in this process remain to be elucidated.