Energization of membrane vesicles from the cells of glycolyzing bacterium Streptococcus faecalis

: Membrane fractions were isolated from Streptococcus faecalis cells of a glycolyzing microorganism, devoid of the respiratory chain, using the methods of osmotic shock of the protoplasts, ultrasonic treatment of the cells and ultrasonic treatment of the protoplasts. All fractions possessed the ATPase activity, the highest activity being observed in the fraction isolated by ultrasonication of the protoplasts. All preparations were estimated with respect to the presence of vesicles, formed by the "inside-out" and "inside-in" membranes, using ATPase as a marker of the membrane orientation. In the membrane fractions obtained by ultrasonication of the protoplasts, the "inside-out" vesicles were prevalent. ATP-dependent energization of the membranes, sensitive to the action of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and tetrachlorotrifluoromethyl benzimidazole, was demonstrated by measuring the transport of the lipophylic anion of phenyldicarbaundecaborane and aniline naphthalene sulfonate fluorescence.