The electron-transport components of the organ of Electrophorus electricus

Abstract

• 1.

  1. Examination of fractions of the main organ of Electrophorus indicates in the “proteinase preparation” an oxidation-reduction system containing cytochromes a₃, a, c₁, c and b. The b component is anomalous in that its antimycin response shows a double band.

• 2.

  2. The “blendor preparation” reveals small amounts of the above cytochromes in the presence of larger amounts of electron-transfer pigments which cannot be identified with known cytochromes.

• 3.

  3. The capability for electron transfer in the organ is small when the calculated rate of oxidative phosphorylation is compared with the rate of glycolysis. It is found that glycolysis can produce ATP at about 90 times the rate as could oxidative phosphorylation in the electric tissue.

• 4.

  4. These data are consistent with the inhibitor insensitivity of the electric discharge of the main organ to anoxia and terminal respiratory inhibitors and confirm the view that glycolytic energy sources are employed in maintaining ionic gradients in the main organ of Electrophorus.