Abstract

Determinations were made of the hydrogen peroxide concentration necessary to demonstrate maximum catalase activity of intact cells of the genus Brucella and of Micrococcus lysodeikticus. It was found that within the genus Brucella the higher the catalase activity of the cell the higher the concentration of hydrogen peroxide required to demonstrate maximum activity. The maximum catalase activity of cells of M. lysodeikticus, which possessed a higher activity than any Brucella cells, was obtained with an intermediate substrate concentration, 1.2 N hydrogen peroxide. The results show that for quantitative measurement of maximum catalase activity in intact bacterial cells the substrate concentration requirements must be established not only for each species, or variety of species, but for the same species grown under different conditions. It has been demonstrated that availability of substrate is a limiting factor in the measurement of intracellular catalase in cells of the genus Brucella of moderate and high catalase activity and in cells of M. lysodeikticus. A higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide was required for the measurement of maximum catalase activity in these untreated cells than for that in cells of increased permeability and in extracts from the disintegrated cells.

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