Thiosulfate metabolism in some red phototrophic bacteria

Abstract

The ability to grow phototrophically with thiosulfate as the sole electron donor is widespread among phototrophic bacteria.Chromatium vinosum, C. minus andRhodopseudomonas palustris metabolize thiosulfate constitutively independent of pre-culture conditions. Cell-free extracts of these organisms contain the thiosulfate cleaving enzymes rhodanese and thiosulfate reductase. These enzymes were enriched and partially purified. The present detailed study of their enzymatic properties lead to the assumption that the two enzymes are non-identical.