Credit: Image courtesy of David Mulder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Electron bifurcation reaction catalyzes two simultaneous reactions. The bifurcating flavin cofactor (center) accepts two electrons and divides their energy into two separate and energetically distinct one-electron pathways. The departure of the low-energy electron (left) creates a high-energy electron (right) capable of reducing ferredoxin. Both reduced compounds, NADH and ferredoxin, perform crucial downstream processes of their own, but the ferredoxin has higher energy and can be used for more difficult chemical reactions.