A mutant defective in electron transfer to nitrate in Escherichia coli K12

A mutant of Escherichia coli K12 is described which is unable to reduce nitrate with a variety of physiological electron donors but which retains nitrate reductase activity with the artificial electron donor benzyl viologen. It is suggested that the affected gene, chlI, located close to chlC, encodes the cytochrome bNR apoprotein.