THE ELECTRIC CURRENT FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI AND THE EFFECT OF RESIN ON IT
1982 Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 73-86
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1982 Volume 28 Issue 1 Pages 73-86
The mechanism of electric-current generation by Escherichia coli IAM 1016 and the effect of an anion-exchange resin on the amount of the current were investigated by using the electrode system developed by MATSUNAGA et al. (1).
The current was increased by addition of succinic acid or glucose, and the increased current was diminished by arsenite. Rotenone and antimycin A3, inhibitors of the respiratory chain, increased the current at lower concentrations and decreased it at higher. These results indicate that the current primarily results from respiratory activity, and that the source of electrons transferred to the electrode is located along the respiratory process.
The current was diminished by addition of the resin. This result suggests that electrons can be transferred from cells to resin as well as to the electrode.
The transfer of electrons to the resin changed the rate of glucose uptake and enhanced the respiratory activity of the organism.
