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Chromatophores of Rhodospirillum rubrum

Nature volume 169, pages 282–283 (1952)Cite this article

Abstract

THE pigments of pbiotosynthetic bacteria are not localized in chloroplasts, and appear upon microscopic examination to be evenly distributed throughout the cell. It has long been known that the absorption maxima of the bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoid pigments are markedly shifted following extraction with organic solvents—a fact first interpreted by Lubimenko1 as evidence that these pigments exist in chemical combination with proteins within the intact cell. About ten years ago, this interpretation received further support from the work of Katz and Wassink2 and of French3,4, who found that aqueous extracts of the pigments with unaltered absorption maxima could be prepared by mechanical disintegration of the cells; French4 also observed that the entire pigment-complex in such extracts could be precipitated with ammonium sulphate.

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References

  1. Lubimenko, V., J. Soc. Botan. Russie, 6, 107 (1921).

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  2. Katz, E., and Wassink, E. C., Enzymologia, 7, 97 (1939).

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  3. French, C. S., J. Gen. Physiol., 23, 469 (1940).

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  7. Schachman, H. K., Pardee, A. B., and Stanier, R. Y., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. (in the press).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virus Laboratory and Department of Bacteriology, University of California, Berkeley

    AUTHUR B. PARDEE, HOWARD K. SCHACHMAN & ROGER Y. STANIER

Authors
  1. AUTHUR B. PARDEE
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  2. HOWARD K. SCHACHMAN
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  3. ROGER Y. STANIER
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PARDEE, A., SCHACHMAN, H. & STANIER, R. Chromatophores of Rhodospirillum rubrum. Nature 169, 282–283 (1952). https://doi.org/10.1038/169282a0

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