PHOSPHATE ION AS A PROMOTER CATALYST OF RESPIRATION

The active component of phosphate solutions, in relation to promoter action on oxidising enzymes, is the PO(4) (''') ion. This is shown by the demonstration of a hyperbolic relationship between per cent production of CO(2) (of Elodea) and pPO(4), the measure of the phosphate ion potential. This is consistent with the rate of respiration as affected by changing pPO(4) through change of total phosphate concentration while pH is kept constant. The equation for this relationship is (CO(2) - a) (pPO(4) - b)(n) = K where a, b, n, and K are constants and n = 1. The same relationship to phosphate ion concentration, expressed by the equation (Activity of enzyme) (pPO(4))(n) = K, where n and K are constants and n varies from 1 to 6 under different conditions, appears to hold for some other enzyme actions, including those of peroxidase and pancreatic lipase.