It catalyses the reduction of nitro groups in a wide range of substrates to produce the corresponding hydroxylamine.
Although its role in vivo is unclear, it has been identified as useful in the metabolism of a number of prodrugs in anti-cancer gene therapy.
[1] There are at least two oxygen-insensitive nitroreductases in E. coli.
The major one is NfsA (P17117, EC 1.7.1.B3).
This protein-related article is a stub.