Paraquat and Escherichia coli. Mechanism of production of extracellular superoxide radical.

Paraquat mediates a superoxide dismutase-inhibitable reduction of cytochrome c by suspensions of Escherichia coli B. Glucose was most effective in providing electrons for this cytochrome c reduction, but other nutrients could serve in this capacity, provided the cells were preconditioned by growth on these nutrients. Paraquat reduction depended upon a NADPH:paraquat diaphorase, present in the cytosol. Reduced paraquat could diffuse across the cell envelope and react with dioxygen, in the suspending medium, thus generating O2- in that compartment. Most of the paraquat reduced in the cell, under the conditions used, reoxidized in situ and most of the O2- production was thus intracellular. The partitioning of reduced paraquat between intracellular and extracellular compartments, prior to reaction with dioxygen, depended upon intracellular pO2 and any strategy which raised intracellular pO2 decreased the efflux of reduced paraquat and thus decreased extracellular O2- production. Extracellular O2- and H2O2 did contribute to cell damage in proportion to the amount produced. O2- appeared to be unable to cross the cell envelope in either direction and the only O2- which was effective in raising the rate of biosynthesis of the manganese-superoxide dismutase, was that generated within the cell.