Crude extracts of a variety of Clostridium species reduce aromatic and aliphatic nitro compounds in the presence of hydrogen gas. Using different Clostridia, the uptake of hydrogen by p-nitrobenzoate is about 5--10 times faster than by 2-nitroethanol. Structurally rather different aliphatic nitro compounds show rates which differ by less than a factor of 3. Hydrogenase from Clostridium kluyveri and ferredoxins from Clostridium spec. La 1 and spinach have been purified. The combinations of the hydrogenase and each one of the ferredoxins catalyse the hydrogen uptake by nitro compounds. Clostridial flavodoxin also transfer electrons onto nitro compounds. Nitroaryl and nitroalkyl compounds behave differently with ferredoxin. The first reduction step (1-electron transfer) of p-nitrobenzoate leads to the nitro radical anion which can be detected by EPR measurements. Nitro alkanes seem to form a rather unstable radical which decomposes partially to form nitrite. Furthermore, 2-(N-hydroxyimino)- and 2-(N-hydroxyamino)ethanol, a nitrogen radical of 2-(N-hydroxyamino)ethanol as well as glycol and 1,4-butanediol were detected as intermediates and side products during the reduction of 2-nitro-ethanol to 2-aminoethanol. While the hydrogenase from Clostridium kluyveri seems not to be affected by any reduction intermediate, the ferredoxin from Clostridium spec. La 1 is inactivated by nitrite in a few minutes. Ferrous and sulfide ions in concentrations substoichiometric to that of nitrite stabilize and even reactivate the ferredoxin in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol. A mechanism for the reduction of aliphatic nitro compounds catalysed by hydrogenase and ferredoxin is proposed.