Separation and distribution of thiosulfate-oxidizing enzyme, tetrathionate reductase, and thiosulfate reductase in extracts of marine heterotroph strain 16B.

Thiosulfate-oxidizing enzyme (TSO), tetrathionate reductase (TTR), and thiosulfate reductase (TSR) were demonstrated in cell-free extracts of the marine heterotrophic thiosulfate-oxidizing bacterium strain 16B. Extracts prepared from cells cultured aerobically in the absence of thiosulfate or tetrathionate exhibited constitutive TSO and TTR activity which resided in the soluble fraction of ultracentrifuged crude extracts. Constitutive TSO and TTR cochromatographed on DEAE-Sephadex A-50, Cellex D, Sephadex G-150, and orange A dye-ligand affinity gels. Extracts prepared from cells cultured anaerobically with tetrathionate or aerobically with thiosulfate followed by oxygen deprivation showed an 11- to 30-fold increase in TTR activity, with no increase in TSO activity. The inducible TTR resided in both the ultracentrifuge pellet and supernatant fractions and was readily separated from constitutive TSO and TTR in the latter by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography. Inducible TTR exhibited TSR activity, which was also located in both membrane and soluble extract fractions and which cochromatographed with inducible TTR. The results indicate that constitutive TSO and TTR in marine heterotroph 16B represent reverse activities of the same enzyme whose major physiological function is thiosulfate oxidation. Evidence is also presented which suggests a possible association of inducible TTR and TSR in strain 16B.