THE CO DEHYDROGENASE-ACTIVITY OF DESULFOVIBRIO-DESULFURICANS GROWING UNDER CHEMOORGANOTROPHIC AND CHEMOLITHOHETEROTROPHIC CONDITIONS

The heterotrophic sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio desulfurica ns 2198 possesses CO dehydrogenase activity, which depends on the phys iological state of cells and growth conditions. The maximal activity o f the enzyme is observed in cells growing under chemoorganotrophic con ditions in the presence of 3% CO in the gas phase and comprises 15.3 m u mol/(min mg protein). The activity of the enzyme is minimal during c hemolithoheterotrophic growth, when it does not exceed 1.38 mu mol/(mi n mg protein). It was shown that, in the presence of CO, cells synthes ize the enzyme de novo.