title: Evidence of enzymatic catalysis of oxygen reduction on stainless steels under marine biofilm.
abstract: Cathodic current trends on stainless steel samples with different surface percentages covered by biofilm and potentiostatically polarized in natural seawater were studied under oxygen concentration changes, temperature increases, and additions of enzymic inhibitors to the solution. The results showed that on each surface fraction covered by biofilm the oxygen reduction kinetics resembled a reaction catalyzed by an immobilised enzyme with high oxygen affinity (apparent Michaelis-Menten dissociation constant close to K(O(2))(M)  ≈ 10 μM) and low activation energy (W ≈ 20 KJ mole(-1)). The proposed enzyme rapidly degraded when the temperature was increased above the ambient (half-life time of ∼1 day at 25°C, and of a few minutes at 50°C). Furthermore, when reversible enzymic inhibitors (eg sodium azide and cyanide) were added, the cathodic current induced by biofilm growth was inhibited.
authors.affiliation: ISMAR-CNR, Genova, Italy. marco.faimali@ismar.cnr.it
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Faimali
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pavanello
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chelossi
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wrubl
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mollica
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology*; D018441:Biofilms; D057219:Biofouling; D003486:Cyanides / Q000737:chemistry; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D007700:Kinetics; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D019810:Sodium Azide / Q000737:chemistry; D013193:Stainless Steel / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D013193:Stainless Steel; D019810:Sodium Azide; D010100:Oxygen