Biosynthesis of ubiquinone in non-photosynthetic gram-negative bacteria

1. The polyprenylphenol and quinone complements of the non-photosynthetic Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas ovalis Chester, Proteus mirabilis and ;Vibrio O1' (Moraxella sp.), were investigated. 2. Ps. ovalis Chester and Prot. mirabilis were shown to contain 2-polyprenylphenols, 6-methoxy-2-polyprenylphenols, 6-methoxy-2-polyprenyl-1,4-benzoquinones, 5-demethoxyubiquinones, ubiquinones, an unidentified 1,4-benzoquinone [2-polyprenyl-1,4-benzoquinone (?)] and ;epoxyubiquinones'. ;Vibrio O1' was shown to contain only 5-demethoxyubiquinones, ubiquinones and ;epoxyubiquinones'. 3. It was established that in Ps. ovalis Chester 2-polyprenylphenols, 6-methoxy-2-polyprenylphenols, 6-methoxy-2-polyprenyl-1,4-benzoquinones, 5-demethoxyubiquinones and 2-polyprenyl-1,4-benzoquinones (?) are precursors of ubiquinones. 4. Intracellular distribution studies showed that in Ps. ovalis Chester ubiquinone and its prenylated precursors are localized entirely on the protoplast membrane. 5. Investigations into the oxygen requirements for ubiquinone biosynthesis by Ps. ovalis Chester showed that the organism could not convert p-hydroxybenzoic acid into ubiquinone in the absence of oxygen, although it could convert a limited amount into 2-polyprenylphenols. 6. Attempts were made to prepare cell-free preparations capable of synthesizing ubiquinone. Purified protoplast membranes of Ps. ovalis Chester were found to be incapable of carrying out this synthesis, even when supplemented with cytoplasm. With crushed-cell preparations of Ps. ovalis Chester, organism PC4 (Achromobacter sp.) and Escherichia coli, synthesis was observed, although this was attributable in part to a small number of intact cells present in the preparations.