Transposon (Tn5) mutagenesis of Pseudomonas perfectomarina with the plasmid pSUP2021 [(pBR325-Mob(RP4))::Tn5] and the chromosomally integrated RP4 plasmid in Escherichia coli as the donor, produced three distinct groups of mutants that were defective in nitrous oxide respiration. One group of mutants lacked the structural protein of N2O reductase, the second synthesized a copper-free apoprotein; and a third group expressed a low level of intact enzyme. The mutants provided evidence for N2O being the immediate precursor of dinitrogen in denitrification and documented the essentiality of the copper enzyme. Synthesis of N2O reductase depended strongly on the growth conditions, with N2O-grown cells expressing the lowest level of enzyme. Regulatory responses of mutants elicited by nitrate or oxygen were unaltered when compared with wild-type behavior.