• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2009

Previous studies have demonstrated that Shewanella decolorationis S12 can grow on the azo compound amaranth as the sole electron acceptor. Thus, to explore the mechanism of energy generation in this metabolism, membranous vesicles (MVs) were prepared and the mechanism of energy generation was investigated. The membrane, which was fragmentized during preparation, automatically formed vesicles ranging from 37.5-112.5 nm in diameter under electron micrograph observation. Energy was conserved when coupling the azoreduction by the MVs of an azo compound or Fe(III) as the sole electron acceptor with $H_2$, formate, or lactate as the electron donor. The amaranth reduction by the vesicles was found to be inhibited by specific respiratory inhibitors, including $Cu^{2+}$ ions, dicumarol, stigmatellin, and metyrapone, indicating that the azoreduction was indeed a respiration reaction. This finding was further confirmed by the fact that the ATP synthesis was repressed by the ATPase inhibitor N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD). Therefore, this study offers solid evidence of a mechanism of microbial dissimilatory azoreduction on a subcell level.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.163-182
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• 1972

The effects of caffeine on the ATPase activity and Ca uptake of the fragmented sarcoplasmic reticulum isolated from rabbit skeletal muscle were studied. The ATPase activity of the heavy fraction (2,000-8,000xG) was stimulated by caffeine while that of other lighter fractions was not. It is suggested that the enhancement of the ATPase by the caffeine treatment. The Ca uptake of the heavy and middle (10,000-20,000xG) fractions was inhibited by caffeine when measured at the medium Ca concentration higher than 200 nmoles/mg protein, while only that of the heavy fraction was inhibited when measured at the Ca concentration below 200 nmoles/mg protein. Experiments with dicumarol suggested that caffeine inhibits the Ca uptake of the mitochondria as well as that of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and that the inhibition of the Ca uptake by caffeine in the low Ca concentration in the heavy fraction is due to the inhibition of the mitochondrial Ca uptake by caffeine. It appeared highly probable that the potentiation of muscle contraction caused by caffeine is solely due to the inhibition of the Ca uptake by and to the release of the accumulated Ca from the sarcoplasmic reticulum.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.333-338
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• 2007

Intracellular NADH:quinone reductase involved in degradation of aromatic compounds including lignin was purified and characterized from white rot fungus Trametes versicolor. The activity of quinone reductase was maximal after 3 days of incubation in fungal culture, and the enzyme was purified to homogeneity using ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and gel filtration chromatographies. The purified enzyme has a molecular mass of 41kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE, and exhibits a broad temperature optimum between $20-40^{\circ}C$, with a pH optimum of 6.0. The enzyme preferred FAD as a cofactor and NADH rather than NADPH as an electron donor. Among quinone compounds tested as substrate, menadione showed the highest enzyme activity followed by 1,4-benzoquinone. The enzyme activity was inhibited by $CuSO_4,\;HgCl_2,\;MgSO_4,\;MnSO_4,\;AgNO_3$, dicumarol, KCN, $NaN_3$, and EDTA. Its $K_m\;and\;V_{max}$ with NADH as an electron donor were $23{\mu}M\;and\;101mM/mg$ per min, respectively, and showed a high substrate affinity. Purified quinone reductase could reduce 1,4-benzoquinone to hydroquinone, and induction of this enzyme was higher by 1,4-benzoquinone than those of other quinone compounds.