Biophysical and in silico characterization of NrtA: a protein-based host for aqueous nitrate and nitrite recognition

Abstract

Nitrate and nitrite are key components of the global nitrogen cycle. As such, Nature has evolved proteins as biological supramolecular hosts for the recognition, translocation, and transformation of both nitrate and nitrite. To understand the supramolecular principles that govern these anion-protein interactions, here, we employ a hybrid biophysical and in silico approach to characterize the thermodynamic properties and protein dynamics of NrtA from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 for the recognition of nitrate and nitrite.