EFFECTS OF HOMOLOGOUS AND HETEROLOGOUS ANTISERA ON THE GLYCEROL DEHYDROGENASES OF HALOPHILIC AND NON-HALOPHILIC BACTERIA

Abstract

Antisera against the glycerol dehydrogenases of Escherichia coli and Vibrio costicolus, prepared by injecting the enzymes into rabbits, precipitated the homologous but not the heterologous enzymes. When the enzyme from E. coli was completely precipitated from the supernatant by a minimal quantity of antiserum, about half the activity could be demonstrated in the precipitate. The activity of the precipitate was progressively reduced by increasing amounts of antiserum. Crude extracts of V. costicolus oxidized butanediol as well as glycerol. The antiserum reduced the oxidation of glycerol to a greater extent than the oxidation of butanediol indicating the presence of two enzymes in the original preparation. Antisera against the E. coli and V. costicolus enzymes were inactive against the P. salinaria enzyme. An attempt to prepare antibodies against the enzyme from Pseudomonas salinaria was not successful.