This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hill, G. C. Articles by White, D. C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hill, G. C. Articles by White, D. C.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J Bacteriol. 1968 June; 95(6): 2151-2157
Copyright © 1968 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Respiratory Pigments of Crithidia fasciculata

Department of Biochemistry, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, Kentucky 40506

ABSTRACT

Mitochondria were isolated from the heme-requiring insect trypanosomatid, Crithidia fasciculata, which had respiratory activity, showed a P/O ratio with succinate of 0.5 to 1.0, and contained 40 to 50% of the heme a and heme c found in the intact cells. Cytochromes b, c₅₅₅, possibly c₁, cytochrome oxidase, a carbon monoxide-binding pigment, and flavoproteins were detectable in the spectra of both intact cells and mitochondria. Cytochrome c₅₅₅ is a basic protein that was extracted from cells and mitochondria with salt solutions. The molar ratio of heme c to heme a was approximately 2:1 in both cells and mitochondria. This organism could possibly serve as a model for studies of the respiratory activity of the pathogenic trypanosomes.