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The existence of an alternative electron-transfer pathway to the periplasmic nitrite reductase (cytochrome cd 1) in Paracoccus denitrificans

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Abstract

Exposure of aerobically-grown wild-type cells of Paracoccus denitrificans to a decreased aeration caused parallel increases in both PMS/ascorbate and succinate-linked activities of nitrite reductase. By contrast, the expression of the succinate-linked activity was considerably delayed in an insertion mutant specifically lacking the periplasmic 15 kDa cytochrome c-550. In this case the observed activity followed very closely the content of a 40 kDa cytochrome c. A subcellular fraction enriched in a haemoprotein of a similar apparent molecular weight showed the activity of cytochrome c peroxidase and was able to restore the antimycin-sensitive electron transport from membrane vesicles to nitrite reductase. It is concluded that P. denitrificans possesses an alternative nitrite-reducing pathway involving the 40 kDa cytochrome c instead of cytochrome c-550. This pathway branches from the respiratory chain after the cytochrome bc 1 segment.

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Abbreviations

PAGE:

polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

PMS:

phenazine methosulphate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, CS-61137, Brno, Czechoslovakia

    I. Maťchová, I. Kučera & O. Janiczek

  2. Department of Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit, de Boelelaan 1087, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    R. J. M. van Spanning & L. F. Oltmann

Authors
  1. I. Maťchová
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  2. I. Kučera
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  3. O. Janiczek
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  4. R. J. M. van Spanning
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  5. L. F. Oltmann
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Maťchová, I., Kučera, I., Janiczek, O. et al. The existence of an alternative electron-transfer pathway to the periplasmic nitrite reductase (cytochrome cd 1) in Paracoccus denitrificans . Arch. Microbiol. 159, 272–275 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248483

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00248483

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