Dehydrogenase and electrochemical activity of Escherichia coli extracts

The dehydrogenase activity of Escherichia coli BB cell extracts was studied at different growth stages in the presence of different substrates and triphenyl tetrazolium chloride as an electron acceptor. It was shown that the highest degree of reduction of triphenyl tetrazolium chloride was observed during exponential growth of the bacteria when potassium isocitrate was used as a substrate. It was found that extracts of the bacteria during the exponential phase of growth on an inert glassy carbon electrode in a three-electrode liquid electrochemical cell manifested electrochemical activity in the presence of potassium citrate and methylene blue or potassium hexacyanoferrate(III) as redox mediators.