The oxidation of o-aminophenols by cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase. III. 2,3-Flurenoquinone from 2-amino-3-fluorenol and binding of quinonoid oxidation products to bovine serum albumin.

The oxidation of the o-aminophenols, 2-amino-1-fluorenol, 3hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl, and of o-aminophenol itself by cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase in vitro has been shown to yield colored oxidation products with characteristic visible absorption spectra (2). The present paper is concerned with the identification of these products by chemical synthesis. The oxidation products of 3-hydroxy-4-aminobiphenyl and of o-aminophenol are isophenoxazones.i Evidence is presented that the oxidation product of 2-amino-1-fluorenol is an indophenol with a structure resembling that of oxidized 2-amino-1-naphthol (2).