General anaesthetics and bacterial luminescence II. The effect of diethyl ether on the in vivo light emission of Vibrio fischeri

The factors which determine the response of the in vitro luminescent reaction of Vibrio fischeri,to the general anaesthetic diethyl ether, have been determined. The investigations show that, as was indicated by a study of the in vivo reaction, the levels of substrates available to the enzyme luciferase modify its response to ether. The results indicate that ether inhibits the binding of the aldehyde factor necessary for luminescence. There is evidence that it also acts as a second site where its presence appears to stimulate the binding of reduced flavin to the enzyme.