Formate dehydrogenase activity in cells and outer membrane blebs of Desulfovibrio gigas

Formate dehydrogenase in Desulfovibrio gigas was measured by following the release of 14CO2 from radiolabeled formate. Experiments with whole cells using sulfate as the electron acceptor revealed optimal formate dehydrogenase activity at pH 7.0 and formate utilization followed saturation kinetics. While formate dehydrogenase was constitutively produced in pyruvate or lactate media, the formate dehydrogenase activity was markedly increased in cells grown with formate as the electron donor. In cell-free experiments with methyl viologen or 2,6 dichlorophenolindophenol, about 1% of the cellular formate dehydrogenase activity was present in blebs from the outer membrane. Electron microscopy revealed that these blebs were closed structures with diameters ranging from 80-800A and were not induced by changes in osmotic pressure or cellular autolysis. Analysis of blebs revealed the presence of lipopolysaccharides and two proteins with molecular masses of 70 and 53 kDa.