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J Bacteriol. 1965 September; 90(3): 734-743
Copyright © 1965 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Cyanide Resistance in Achromobacter I. Induced Formation of Cytochrome a₂ and Its Role in Cyanide-Resistant Respiration

^a Laboratory of Fermentation, Department of Agricultural Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

ABSTRACT

ARIMA, KEI (University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan), AND TETUO OKA. Cyanide resistance in Achromobacter. I. Induced formation of cytochrome a₂ and its role in cyanide-resistant respiration. J. Bacteriol. 90:734–743. 1965.—By following the cytochrome concentrations during the growth cycle and under various conditions (aerobic, aerobic plus KCN, reduced aeration, anaerobic plus NaNO₃) in Achromobacter strain D, a close relationship between the formation of cytochrome a₂ (and a₁) and the difficulty of oxygen utilization was demonstrated. Cytochrome o, which was the only oxidase found in aerobic log-phase cells, was present in bacterial cells grown under various conditions; the amount present had no relation to the degree of cyanide resistance. On the other hand, cytochrome a₂ (and a₁) was inducible, and a close relation was observed between the amount of cytochrome and resistance to cyanide. Spectrophotometric observations indicated that, among the cytochromes present in resistant cells, cytochrome a₂ could be oxidized most easily in the presence of cyanide and that cytochrome b₁ could be oxidized without the oxidation of cytochrome a₁. We concluded that cytochrome a₂ is a cyanide-resistant oxidase capable of catalyzing the oxidation of cytochromes in the presence of cyanide. Cytochrome a₂ is also resistant to azide, an inhibitor of cytochrome oxidase.

¹ Present address: Kyowa Hakko Co., Tokyo Research Laboratory, Machida, Tokyo, Japan.