BACTERIAL RESPIRATION 



205 



CH2— 0— P— 

 HCOH OH 



HCOH 



I 

 HCOH 



CH2 



I 

 CH N N 



^\/\^\ 

 CH3C c c c = o 



I II I I 



CHoC C C NH 

 CH N C=0 



-P— 0— CH2 



I I 



OH HC— 



HCOH 





 HCOH 



I 

 CH- 



I 

 /N — C— N 



CH 



N— C 



I , 



NH2.C=:=N 



CH 



I 



+ 2H 



Yellow. 



O 



II II 



CH,— 0— P— 0— P— 0— CH. 



HCOH 

 HCOH 



HCOH 



I 

 CH, 



OH 



I I 

 OH HC 



HCOH 



HCOH 



I 

 CH - 



CH N NH 

 CH3C c c c = o 



I II II I 



CH3C C C NH 



CH NHC = 



Colourless, 



/N— C 



CH 



-N— C 

 NHa.C:= 



• N 

 II 



Jh 



.N 



The dihydro- (or leuco-) flavoprotein can be re- 

 oxidised by atmospheric oxygen to form the original 

 enzyme and hydrogen peroxide. In some cases the 

 leuco -flavoprotein may be re -oxidised with the interven- 

 tion of yet another carrier, probably cytochrome, before 



