Abstract
Wolinella succinogenes grown on formate and elemental sulphur was found to use the polysulphide derivatives 2,2′-tetrathiobispropionate (R2S4) or pentathionate (S5O =6 ) as acceptors for formate oxidation. The specific activities of formate oxidation with these acceptors were similar to those with elemental sulphur. The main reaction products of R2S4 reduction were 2,2′-dithiobispropionate (R2S2) and sulphide. Pentathionate was converted to thiosulphate and some elemental sulphur. The electrochemical proton potential \((\Delta \tilde \mu _H )\) across the cytoplasmic membrane of the bacterium was measured in the steady state of electron transport from formate to R2S4. The electrical proportion (Δψ) of the \((\Delta \tilde \mu _H )\) determined through the distribution of labeled tetraphenylphosphonium cation was obtained as 0.17 Volt. The Δψ was zero, when a protonophore was present. The pH-difference across the membrane was negligible. Thus the \((\Delta \tilde \mu _H )\) generated by sulphur respiration is close to that measured earlier with fumarate as the terminal acceptor of electron transport.
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Abbreviations
- DMO:
-
5,5-dimethyloxazolidine-2,4-dione
- R2Sn (n=2–5):
-
2,2-polythiobispropionate
- TTFB:
-
4,5,6,7-tetrachloro-2-trifluoromethylbenzimidazol
- TPP:
-
tetraphenylphosphonium cation
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Wloczyk, C., Kröger, A., Göbel, T. et al. The electrochemical proton potential generated by the sulphur respiration of Wolinella succinogenes . Arch. Microbiol. 152, 600–605 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425494
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00425494