Inhibition of Intracellular Succinate Dehydrogenase of the Bacillus subtilis Bacterium as a Criterion for the Involvement of an Enzyme in the Reduction of Chloride Iodonitrotetrazolium, an Indicator of Cell Viability

Abstract

After diffusion of the tetrazolium salt to membrane reducing agents of the Bacillus subtilis cells, the reduction rate is shown to be affected by the state of the succinate dehydrogenase enzyme. Based on the dependence of the initial rate of iodonitrotetrazolium chloride reduction by the cellular components of Bacillus subtilis on the concentration of malonic acid, the competitive inhibition constant for the intracellular succinate dehydrogenase enzyme is quantitatively determined.