Soluble Cytochromes c of a KCN-resistant Mutant of an Obligate Methylotroph,Methylomonas sp.

A KCN-resistant mutant, Methylomonas sp. YK 56, contained three kinds of soluble cytochromes c (cytochromes c-I, c-II, and c-III) though the wild type strain contained two kinds (cytochromes c-I and c-III). The proportion of the three cytochromes c of the mutant were 2.4, 71.5, and 26.1%, and that of the two cytochromes c of the wild type strain were 2.1 and 97.9%, respectively.

Cytochromes c-II and c-III of the mutant were purified by a procedure involving ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-, CM-cellulose, and Sephadex G-150 column chromatography. Cytochrome c-II was obtained as crystals with ammonium sulfate. Both absorption peaks of the α-band of the two cytochromes c were at 551.5 nm at room temperature and the β-band of cytochrome c-II had a shoulder at 530 nm. Molecular weights Of the two cytochromes c were 16,000 and 20,000, respectively and their isoelectric points were 4.1 and 3.5, respectively.