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A comparison of electron transport and photophosphorylation systems of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata and Rhodospirillum rubrum

Effects of antimycin A and dibromothymoquinone

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Abstract

The photophosphorylation systems of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata and Rhodospirillum rubrum chromatophores have been compared in respect to the effects of artificial electron carries [N-methyl-phenazonium methosulfate (PMS) and diaminodurene], reducing agents (ascorbate in particular), and various quinones in the absence and presence of the electron transport inhibitors antimycin A and dibromothymoquinone (DBMIB). In addition, the effects of both inhibitors on photosynthetic electron transport through cytochromes b and c has been followed. From the results obtained, it appears that in both organisms: a) ubiquinone functions as an electron carrier between the cytochromes, and b) both antimycin A and DBMIB inhibit cyclic electron flow in the segment ... cytochrome b→ubiquinone»cytochrome c ..., but at different sites. The systems apparently differ mainly in respect to the nature of the electron flow by-pass “shunt” that is evoked in the presence of PMS; thus, in R. rubrum, PMS catalyzes a shunt that by-passes both cytochrome b and ubiquinone, whereas in Rps. capsulata the PMS shunt seems to circumvent only ubiquinone.

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Abbreviations

BChl:

bacteriochlorophyll

DAD:

diaminodurene=2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine

DBMIB:

dibromothymoquinone=2,5-dibromo-6-isopropyl-3-methylbenzoquinone

HOQNO:

heptylhydroxyquinoline-N-oxide

PMS:

N-methylphenazonium methosulfate

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    Zippora Gromet-Elhanan

  2. Photosynthetic Bacteria Group, Department of Microbiology, Indiana University, 47401, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Howard Gest

Authors
  1. Zippora Gromet-Elhanan
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  2. Howard Gest
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Gromet-Elhanan, Z., Gest, H. A comparison of electron transport and photophosphorylation systems of Rhodopseudomonas capsulata and Rhodospirillum rubrum . Arch. Microbiol. 116, 29–34 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408730

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408730

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