Cobalt chelatase Cobalt chelatase Cobalt chelatase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction The 4 substrates of this enzyme are ATP, hydrogenobyrinic acid a,c-diamide, Co, and HO, whereas its 4 products are ADP, phosphate, cob(II)yrinic acid a,c-diamide, and H. The aerobic cobalt chelatase (aerobic cobalamin biosynthesis pathway) consists of three subunits, CobT, CobN () and CobS (). Cobalamin (vitamin B12) can be complexed with metal via the ATP-dependent reactions (aerobic pathway) (e.g., in "Pseudomonas denitrificans") or via ATP-independent reactions (anaerobic pathway) (e.g., in "Salmonella typhimurium"). The corresponding cobalt chelatases are not homologous. However, aerobic cobalt chelatase subunits CobN and CobS
Cobalt B, the primary biological reservoir of cobalt as an ultratrace element. Bacteria in the stomachs of ruminant animals convert cobalt salts into vitamin B, a compound which can only be produced by bacteria or archaea. A minimal presence of cobalt in soils therefore markedly improves the health of grazing animals, and an uptake of 0.20 mg/kg a day is recommended because they have no other source of vitamin B. In the early 20th century, during the development of farming on the North Island Volcanic Plateau of New Zealand, cattle suffered from what was termed "bush sickness". It was discovered that