Abstract
FROM a lactoflavin solution which had become blue-fluorescent, a bacterial species has been isolated capable of changing the usual green fluorescence of the flavin solution, and of developing a blue fluorescence. When a very small amount of these bacteria, taken from agar, is put into each of two tubes, one containing aqueous flavin solution, the other only water, the following observations can be made: 1. The green fluorescence of flavin often disappears in about an hour, due to reduction, and may be recovered by shaking with air. 2. In any case the intensity of the green fluorescence becomes gradually less. At the same time a blue fluorescence develops in the solution. The final disappearance of flavin takes about 12 hours with fresh bacteria and 0.6 per c.c. of lactoflavin. More than 3 Per c.c. of lactoflavin in the solution is toxic, and no change occurs. 3. The tube containing water and bacteria, but no flavin, does not develop a blue fluorescence. No visible growth occurs in either tube. 4. A tube containing the same amount of flavin under sterile conditions continues to fluoresce green indefinitely.
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PETT, L. Flavin Transformation by Bacteria. Nature 135, 36 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/135036a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/135036a0
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