Interaction of Cellular Hydrogenase, Cytochrome c₃, and Desulfoviridin in Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki with Their Antibodies

Abstract

Anti-sera for hydrogenase, cytochrome c₃, and desulfoviridin (abbreviated as anti-hyd, anti-c3, and anti-dvn, respectively) were raised in mice, and used to locate these antigens in cells of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Miyazaki. The activity of the intact cells to absorb H₂ with methyl viologen or sulfite as an electron acceptor was cumulatively inhibited by treating the cells with anti-hyd and anti-c₃, but unaffected by anti-dvn treatment. The activity of the intact cells to produce H₂ from formate was also inhibited by anti-c3 treatment, but the inhibition by anti-hyd treatment was not significant. The fluorescent antibody technique applied to intact cells of D. vulgaris Miyazaki indicated that both hydrogenase and cytochrome c₃, are localized on the surface of the cell. These results are not exactly in conformity with the hydrogen-cycling hypothesis for proton gradient formation in the energy metabolism in Desulfovibrio. The procedure described in the present paper provides a new technique to elucidate the roles of proteins by applying anti-sera to intact cells without destroying the cellular structure.