Part V 



Antibodies Against Respiratory 

 Enzymes 



IN THE preceding pages the properties of antibodies against the pro- 

 teolytic, hpolytic and amylolytic enzymes, etc. of bacteria were de- 

 scribed. It is important from the standpoint of antibacterial immunity 

 to consider whether there exist antibodies against the respiratory or 

 oxidative enzymes of bacterial and other cells. A discussion of this ques- 

 tion involves a brief survey of the chemical nature, distribution and 

 properties of these enzymes, and of certain immunological facts about 

 them. For fuller information standard books on enzymes should be 

 consulted. 



A. RESPIRATORY ENZYMES 



1. Dehydrogenases, Flavoproteins, Cocarboxylase Con- 

 taining Enzymes, and Heme Containing Enzymes 



Dehydrogenases: A dehydrogenase is a conjugated protein which 

 consists of a specific protein and a prosthetic group common to all of 

 the known dehydrogenases. At present there are knov^Ti to exist 

 diphosphopyridine adenine dinucleotide or coenzyme I, and triphospho- 

 pyridine adenine dinucleotide or coenzyme II. Since the coenzyme 

 group is one or the other of these in all known cozymase dehydro- 

 genases, certain specific characteristics of the proteins must regulate 

 the activity of these enzymes. Several of these specific proteins have 

 been obtained in crystalline form. We are entirely in the dark regard- 

 ing the peculiarities of the specific protein molecule. 



Flavoproteins: A flavoprotein is a conjugated protein which consists 

 of a specific protein and a prosthetic group: at present there are known 

 to exist riboflavin phosphate, a mononucleotide, and riboflavin adenine 

 dinucleotide as the prosthetic groups of flavoproteins. Besides the role 



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