1. The properties of a 5-aminolaevulinic acid synthetase-deficient mutant of Escherichia coli Ki2Ymel grown aerobically or anaerobically in the presence or absence of 5-aminolaevulinic acid are described. I n the absence of 5-aminolaevulinic acid no detectable cytochromes are produced, respiration rates are lowered, and the concentration of menaquinone in the cell is increased. The absence of 5-aminolaevulinic acid from the growth medium has no apparent effect on the Mg2+. dependent ATPase activity or on the concentrations of ubiquinone and flavoprotein(s) in the cell.2. Two methods for the reconstitution of respiration by cells grown aerobically or anaerobically in the absence of 5-aminolaevulinic acid are described. With intact cells, reconstitution is achieved in 3 h at 37 "C and is dependent on the presence of 5-aminolaevulinic acid and a fermentable carbon source. With cell-free extracts, respiration can be reconstituted by the addition of haematin in 15-20 min a t 37 "C provided that ATP is also present.3. It is concluded that the reconstitution of respiration by both methods is achieved in the absence of protein synthesis, indicating that the apoproteins of cytochromes, involved in electron transport with oxygen as terminal electron acceptor, are synthesized and incorporated into the membrane in the absence of haem synthesis.
4.From an examination of the cytochromes produced during the reconstitution experiments, it is suggested that two membrane-bound electron transport systems using oxygen as terminal electron acceptor can co-exist in E . coli. The first involving cytochrome b,,, with cytochrome o as terminal oxidase is the system normally present under aerobic growth conditions, and the second is induced under conditions when the concentrations of NADH and ADP in the cell are likely to be high and involves cytochrome b668 with cytochrome a, as the terminal oxidase.Escherichia coli forms a variety of electron transport systems depending upon the conditions chosen for growth (for reviews see [l-31). Under conditions of vigorous aeration the membrane-bound carriers include ubiquinone and cytochromes b,,,, bSBB and o [4-61, whereas under conditions of anaerobic growth the major membrane-bound electron carriers are menaquinone and cytochromes b,,, bSSB and a2 together with low concentrations of cytochrome a, [6--81. Two soluble c-type cytochromes, c548 and are also produced under anaerobic growth conditions [S]; cytochrome ~5 5 0 is associated with formate-hydrogen lyase activity [9] and cytochrome c548 is only present in low concentrations and its role is unknown. Under conditions of poor aeration, Enzymes. Mga++-dependent ATPase (EC 3.6.1.3) ; hexokinase (EC 2.7.1.1); catalase (EC 1.11.1.6); 6-aminolaevulinate synthetaee (EC 6.3.-.-).Nomenclature. Nonemclature of E. wli genes is that of A. L. Taylor (1970) Bacterial. Rev. 34, 155-176. or in the late log-phase of growth, a complex mixture of all these membrane-bound electron carriers is observed [S] (and unpublished observations). Under anaerobic growt...