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Biol Bull 84: 164-177. (April 1943)
© 1943 Marine Biological Laboratory
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METHYLENE BLUE, POTASSIUM CYANIDE AND CARBON MONOXIDE AS INDICATORS FOR STUDYING THE OXIDATION-REDUCTION POTENTIALS OF DEVELOPING MARINE EGGS

MATILDA MOLDENHAUER BROOKS 1

1 The Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, and the University of California, Berkeley

The oxygen consumption of eggs and larvae of Asterias forbesii and Arbacia punctulata was measured by the Warburg-Barcroft technique, in sea water, in sea water solutions of KCN (5 x 10-4 M) and methylene blue (0.002 per cent) and with atmospheres of carbon monoxide (99.5 per cent pure). Eight stages were studied: unfertilized and fertilized eggs, first cleavages, morula, blastula, early and late gastrula, and pluteus. Subsequent development after a period of two to three hours exposure to these reagents was followed in sea water.

Methylene blue increased oxygen consumption most when acting on unfertilized eggs, did not increase it for gastrula, and increased it slightly in the other stages. When transferred to sea water, the effects of methylene blue persisted in increasing the rate of development of larvae, prolonged their life and produced larger plutei.

Cyanide decreased oxygen consumption most strongly when acting on gastrulae, less so for other stages, and had little or no effect on unfertilized eggs.

These two agents have a converse action. This was shown by the antagonism between these two, as shown in this paper by the promotion of motility in cyanide paralyzed forms.

Carbon monoxide prevented gas consumption, subsequent fertilization and produced cytolysis. Methylene blue promoted the subsequent fertilization of CO-treated eggs.

These results are most simply accounted for on the assumption that the redox potential changes to a more positive level during progress from the egg to the gastrula stage and thereafter drops slightly. Methylene blue raises and cyanide depresses the positive redox potential. Carbon monoxide, as used in these experiments, indirectly depresses the redox potential by preventing the oxidized forms of the enzymes to exist. These effects take place in an oxidative enzyme chain whose members undergo reduction or oxidation. The whole system suffers changes under the named reagents, leading towards or away from the optimum Eh levels and maximum oxygen consumption.






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Copyright © 1943 by the Marine Biological Laboratory.