Glycollate oxidation by thylakoids of the cyanobacteria Anabaena cylindrica, Nostoc muscorum and Chlorogloea fritschii.

The intracellular distribution of glycollate dehydrogenase EC 1.2.1.17 has been investigated in extracts of the cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) Anabaena cylindrica, Nostoc muscorum and Chlorogloea fritschii. Most of the enzyme activity was associated with a chlorophyll-containing cell-free pellet, which also exhibited Photosystem I and II activities. Sucrose density gradient centrifugation of this washed pellet resulted in the formation of a green band within which maximal chlorophyll concentration and enzymic glycollate oxidation coincided. Antiserum raised to this fraction obtained from A. cylindrica inhibited glycollate dehydrogenase and Photosystem II activity. The data indicate that most of the cyanobacterial glycollate dehydrogenase is associated with the thylakoids and thus provide evidence for the dual role of these membranes in photosynthetic and respiratory processes.