$^{13}C$ and $^{57}Fe$ END OR of Nitrogenase： Can it Tell the Substrate-Binding Site in the Active Site?

Nitrogenase, comprised of the MoFe and Fe proteins, catalyzes the reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia at ambient temperature and pressure. The MoFe protein contains two metal centers, the P-cluster (Fe8S7-8) and the FeMo-cofactor (Fe7S9：homocitrate), the substrate binding site. Despite the availability of the crystal structure of the MoFe protein, suprisingly little is known about the molecular details of catalysis at the active site, and no small-molecule substrate or inhibitor had ever been shown to directly interact with a protein-bound cluster of the functioning enzyme, until our electron-nuclear double resonance(ENDOR) study of CO-inhibited nitrogenase.(omitted)