The physiology of oxygen metabolism in Group B N. meningitidis was investigated. The respiratory components of the electron transport chain included dehydrogenases, ubiquinone, multiple b- and c-type cytochromes, and cytochromes o and a as terminal oxidases. Independent variations in the respiratory components were determined for cells grown under different conditions of iron concentrations and aeration (including anaerobiosis). Studies on oxidase activities in envelope preparations suggested branching of the respiratory chain at the levels of dehydrogenases, cytochrome b and terminal oxidases. Work on L-cysteine oxidase activity associated with the envelope preparations indicated the presence of an additional "alternate" oxidase insensitive to terminal oxidase inhibitors. A soluble CO- and NO-binding c-type cytochrome was shown to be present in the supernatant fluids and might be involved in an ascorbate-TMPD oxidase activity. A model of a branched electron transport system is proposed. The levels of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the organism were shown to vary with the growth conditions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.68526 |
| Date | January 1980 |
| Creators | Yu, Ernest Kar-cheung. |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Microbiology and Immunology) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 000595512, proquestno: AAINK50595, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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