title: Oxygen consumption and luminescence of Porichthys photophores stimulated by potassium cyanide.
abstract: Isolated photophores of Porichthys notatus, maintained in saline at 20 degrees C, do not luminesce and show an oxygen consumption rate of 0.07 +/- 0.01 nmol min-1 photophore-1. In the presence of 10(-6) M-KCN, the photophores do not luminesce but the resting respiration decreases by about 50%. In the presence of 10(-5) M-KCN, some photophores do not luminesce and their respiration rate decreases by about 75%. Others show a response and resting oxygen consumption slowly increases. At high concentration (10(-4) and 10(-3)M), KCN induces a large light emission and increase in oxygen consumption. The stimulatory effect of KCN on the photophore oxygen consumption is tentatively explained by an activation of the luciferin-luciferase system by calcium ions.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003486:Cyanides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005399:Fishes / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D011190:Potassium Cyanide / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D011190:Potassium Cyanide