O2-stimulated synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll and carotenoids in marine bacteria

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Abstract
We examined the effects of a limitation of the O2-supply on the syntheses of bacteriochlorophyll ap and carotenoids in isolates of aerobic marine bacteria, OCh 101 and OCh 114, grown heterotrophically. Whereas they formed these pigments fairly well under high aeration in the dark, a limitation of the O2-supply resulted in the decreased syntheses of bacteriochlorophyll in both strains. Syntheses of carotenoids also were depressed under low aeration but to a lesser extent (especially in OCh 101) than the depression of bacteriochlorophyll synthesis. Aerobic incubation of a culture of OCh 101, that previously had been grown semiaerobically, induced the supplementary synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll. This induction was inhibited almost completely by chloram-phenicol. The absorption spectra of suspensions and solvent extracts of cells grown aerobically or semiaerobically are reported.