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Abstract
Summary: Suspensions of non-proliferating Escherichia coli produced H2S from thiosulphate in the presence of pyruvate or acetaldehyde. Production of H2S was slight in the presence of α-ketoglutarate and α-ketobutyrate. Organic acids such as malate, fumarate, succinate, lactate, formate and acetate, aldehydes other than acetaldehyde and monohydric alcohols either had no effect or inhibited H2S production from thiosulphate. H2S was not produced from sulphite, bisulphite or sulphate, either in the presence or in the absence of the above-named compounds. Crude cell-free extracts of Escherichia coli produced H2S from thiosulphate in the presence of pyruvate. Experiments with dialysed extracts showed that inorganic phosphate, Mg ions and cocarboxylase were essential for H2S production. Treatment of the extracts with anion exchange resin revealed that in addition, coenzyme A was indispensable for H2S production from thiosulphate. The addition of DPN to extracts dialysed or treated with anion exchange resin did not influence H2S production to a marked degree.
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