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Biomedical subjects

B A Haddock

Publications and source records attributed to B A Haddock.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1980

Microbial energetics.

An understanding of the mechanisms by which bacteria derive their energy is clearly important for the prediction of growth yields. Bacteria can synthesize ATP by a variety of routes, by fermentation, by oxidative phosphorylation, and possibly by the excretion of metabolic end products. The bacterium Escherichia coli has been studied extensively and a great deal is now known about the different membrane-bound multi-enzyme complexes that are responsible for oxidative phosphorylation. The efficiency of oxidative phosphorylation can vary not only between different bacteria that have adapted to particular ecological niches but also in an individual bacterium grown under different conditions or modified genetically by mutation with respect to its parent. Clearly, the concept that bacteria always grow with maximum thermodynamic efficiency is erroneous and it is important, therefore, to be able to assess the efficiency of energy conversion as well as the biochemical and genetical factors that regulate the physiological expression of energy-yielding reactions if they are to be manipulated by the investigator.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1980

Precursor forms of the subunits of nitrate reductase in chlA and chlB mutants of Escherichia coli K12.

The synthesis of nitrate reductase by a parental Escherichia coli K12 strain and its isogenic chlA and chlB mutants has been analyzed by protein double labelling with L-[4,5-3H]leucine and sulphur-35 and by immunoprecipitation using specific antiserum. The chlA and chlB mutants although defective in nitrate reductase activity retain the ability to synthesise the different polypeptides that are normally required for functional enzyme activity. In addition the data shows the following. 1. These polypeptides are present in unequal quantities in the membrane and in the cytoplasm of the cells. The chlB mutant synthesizes three times more nitrate reductase than the chlA mutant. 2. The subunit composition of the membrane-bound nitrate reductase present in the two mutants is different. 3. Membrane preparations from the chlB mutant contain the three subunits alpha, beta, gamma in a ratio which is similar to the wild type. 4. In the chlA mutant the two subunits beta and gamma are missing and the level of alpha subunit is very low. In the same membrane a 48,000-Mr subunit (polypeptide beta') precipitable by nitrate reductase antiserum has been found. The chlA and chlB mutants accumulate the three subunits alpha, beta and gamma in different proportion and concentrations in the cytoplasm unlike the parental strain. 5. The cytoplasm from the chlA mutant also contains the beta' polypeptide found in the membrane fraction of this mutant and in addition contain another polypeptide designated alpha' of molecular weight 105,000 which is precipitated by the nitrate reductase antiserum. The formation of particulate active nitrate reductase can be achieved by mixing the supernatant fractions of the chlA and chlB mutants (complementation) and procedes by two distinct but mutually dependent stages. Following reconstitution of activity the two peptides alpha' and beta' present in the supernatant fraction of the chlA mutant, disappear. Analysis of the immunoprecipitate polypeptides present in both the soluble and particulate nitrate reductase protein after reconstitution suggests that these polypeptides are precursors of the alpha and beta subunits following a process that remains to be elucidated.

Antigens, Bacterial↗
PubMed1978

Characterization of an Escherichia coli K12 mutant that is sensitive to chlorate when grown aerobically.

Escherichia coli can normally grow aerobically in the presence of chlorate; however, mutants can be isolated that can no longer grow under these conditions. We present here the biochemical characterization of one such mutant and show that the primary genetic lesion occurs in the ubiquinone-8-biosynthetic pathway. As a consequence of this, under aerobic growth conditions the mutant is apparently unable to synthesize formate dehydrogenase, but can synthesize a Benzyl Viologen-dependent nitrate reductase activity. The nature of this activity is discussed.

Acridines↗
PubMed1976

A stopped-flow dual-wavelength spectrophotometer suitable for the study of respiratory chains.

The requirements for a dual-wavelength stopped-flow spectrophotometer to be suitable for studying limited quantities of respiratory-chain preparations are described. They can be met by a design using mainly commercially available components. The constructed apparatus has a dead-time of approx. 2.6 ms, a mixing ratio of 17:1, and a minimal requirement for 0.5 ml of mixed reactants per flow.

Cytochromes↗
PubMed1976

Kinetic characterization of the membrane-bound cytochromes of Escherichia coli grown under a variety of conditions by using a stopped-flow dual-wavelength spectrophotometer.

A study was made of the rapid oxidation kinetics of the cytochromes of Escherichia coli. The b-type cytochromes were kinetically heterogeneous, with one species (presumably cytochrome o) oxidized so rapidly that it could fully support observed oxidation rates. Cytochrome d but not cytochrome a1 was also kinetically competent to support respiration. However, in cells grown anaerobically in the presence of NO3-, cytochrome d exhibited slow oxidation kinetics and a red-shift in its reduced-minus-oxidized difference spectrum.

Anaerobiosis↗