Abstract
Summary
Mycobacterium tuberculosisvar. hominisstrains H37Rv, H37Ra and H37RaN; Mycobacterium tuberculosisvar. bovisstrain BCG-4; and Mycobacterium smegmatiswere ground in a ball mill and fractionated according to the methods outlined earlier(2). Enzymes aconitase. fumarase. DPNH oxidase, catalase. cytochrome oxidase, isocitric, alpha-ketoglutaric, malic and succinic dehydrogenase were localized in one or more fractions using the two criteria established by Alexander and Wilson(12a. b). Cytochrome oxidase. DPNH oxidase and succinic dehydrogenase were found to be particulate bound by both criteria. However, the locus of other enzymes determined by one criterion did not always coincide with that determined by the second criterion. A modified criterion was then established and this was discussed. With the new criterion most of the enzymes of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and terminal electron transport system could be localized. The particles found within the various fractions were electron opaque and labile to electron bombardment. The presence of enzymatic activity, particularly those enzymatic activities concerned with energy yielding mechanisms lends support to the hypothesis that these particles are mitochondria.
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