Photochemical action spectra of CO-liganded terminal oxidases using a liquid dye laser

A method of obtaining photochemical action spectra for the relief of CO inhibition of respiration is described. Continuous readout from a membrane-covered oxygen electrode of dissolved oxygen in a stirred suspension of microorganisms under CO-oxygen gas mixtures in an open reactor enables measurement of increased respiration on illumination. Advantages presented by the use of a liquid dye laser include high intensity of emission and narrow spectral bandwidth; just two dyes (rhodamine 6G and rhodamine 110) are required to match the alpha-absorption maxima of the CO complexes of all known bacterial and mitochondrial terminal oxidases.