NADH: quinone oxidoreductase as a site of Na+-dependent activation in the respiratory chain of marine Vibrio alginolyticus.

The site of Na+-dependent activation in the respiratory chain of the marine bacterium, Vibrio alginolyticus, was investigated. The respiratory chain system contained ubiquinones (Q), menaquinones (MK), cytochromes b(560), c(553), d(630), and o(560). The membrane-bound and partially purified NADH dehydrogenase was stimulated 2- to 3-fold by the addition of 0.2 M Na+ or K+ and no specific requirement for Na+ was observed in this reaction step. The cytochrome oxidase showed no requirement for monovalent cations. The respiratory activity (NADH oxidase) of the membrane was lost on removal of the quinones, and the reincorporation of authentic Q-10 or MK-4 restored the activity. The rate of MK-4 reduction by NADH (menaquinone reductase) as measured using MK-4 incorporated membrane was activated by Na+, but only slightly by K+. The apparent Ka for Na+ was 78 mM for both menaguinone reductase and NADH oxidase. The requirement for Na+ of menaquinone reductase was greatly reduced in the presence of 0.2 M K+. Ubiquinone reductase as measured by using Q-10 incorporated membrane was also activated more effectively by Na+ than by K+. These results strongly suggested that the site of Na+-dependent activation in the respiratory chain of marine V. alginolyticus was at the step of NADH; quinone oxidoreductase.