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Oxidative phosphorylation in Micrococcus denitrificans under autotrophic growth conditions

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Summary

Cell-free preparations from autotrophically grown M. denitrificans yielded P/O ratios of 0.6–1.6 with H2, 0.4–1.2 with NADH, 0.7–1.0 with succinate, and 0.3–0.5 with ascorbate as the oxidizable substrates.

The phosphorylation in all cases was inhibited effectively by DNP, DBP, PCP, CCCP, and dicumarol at concentrations which did not cause any significant inhibition of oxygen uptake.

The respiratory chain inhibitors such as antimycin A, HOQNO, cyanide, and azide were the potent inhibitors of the phosphate esterification coupled to the oxidation of H2, NADH, and succinate; the ascorbate-linked phosphorylation was inhibited by cyanide or azide only.

While the NADH oxidation and associated phosphorylation was markedly sensitive to rotenone and other flavoprotein inhibitors, the oxidation of H2 was relatively insensitive although there was a partial inhibition of the coupled phosphorylation. The experimental results indicated that bulk of the electron transfer from H2 bypassed the NADH-dehydrogenase or the rotenone sensitive site.

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Abbreviations

BAL:

British Anti-Lewisite (2,3-Dimercaptopropanol)

CCCP:

Carbonyl-cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone

DBP:

2,6-Dibromophenol

DNP:

2,4-Dinitrophenol

GSH:

reduced glutathione

HOQNO:

2-n-Heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide

PCMB:

p-hydroxymercuribenzoate

PCP:

Pentachlorphenol

TTFA:

Thenoyltrifluoracetone

TMPD:

N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

EDTA:

Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid

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Post doctorate fellow of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft

National Science Foundation Research Associate.

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Knobloch, K., Ishaque, M. & Aleem, M.I.H. Oxidative phosphorylation in Micrococcus denitrificans under autotrophic growth conditions. Archiv. Mikrobiol. 76, 114–125 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00411785

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