Variability in the activity of bacterial enzymes

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Abstract
The activity of most bacterial dehydrogenases may vary considerably with the time the organism is allowed to grow before reaping. The activity of most of these enymes appears to increase at first, to reach a maximum and subsequently to diminish. This variability is generally least with the formic acid enzyme, e.g., the results with Bact. coli, but even with this enzyme it may be great, especially with some other organisms such as Bact. pullorum. As the series of reduction times obtained with a standard cell suspension and several substrates may differ considerably with the initial period of growth of the cells of the suspension, it is concluded that no particular series of reduction times can be considered to be characteristic of a specific organism, unless all the conditions governing the growth of the organism are simultaneously stated. The apparent absence of activity of any enzyme from a suspension of cells to a particular age does not justify the conclusion that the organism never possesses that enzyme during its life. The importance of recognizing this fact in a study of so-called "constitutive" and "adaptative" enzymes of organisms is indicated. To secure a true picture of the enzymic make-up of organisms such as bacteria it is necessary to examine the organism at different stages in its growth.

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