Flavohaemoglobin: A Bifunctional NO-Detoxifying Enzyme for Facultatively Aerobic Bacteria

The flavohaemoglobin Hmp of Escherichia coli and Salmonella provides protection from NO and nitrosative stress (for example in macrophages) by converting NO to nitrate (aerobically) or nitrous oxide (anoxically). <P>
The objectives of this work are to: <OL> <LI> Evaluate the role(s) of Hmp in physiologically relevant oxygen-limited and anoxic survival conditions. <LI> Dissect the roles of the haem and flavin domains of Hmp in ligand binding and catalysis. <LI> Seek new regulators of hmp transcription. <LI> Identify additional mechanisms for NO and nitrosative stress tolerance in the absence of Hmp.