affect (II).“ J . H. B.
Interferom etric m ethod [applied to Abder- halden’s reaction]. Controls and interpretation.
A. Durupt and A. Schlesinger (Fermentforsch., 1933, 14, 13—26).—The increase in serum concn., measured by the interferometric method, is due to two factors : swelling by H 20 absorption and degrad
ation of the insol. coagulated proteins due to the defence enzymes in pathological sera. When the physical action is allowed for, no Abderhalden re
action is obtained in normal cases. J . H. B.
Specificity of defence enzym es, (a) Differen
tiation of proteins from blood-plasm a or -serum of different blood-groups of healthy and diseased
1332 B R ITISH CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS.— A.
individuals, also of species-specific tissu e-p ro- teins. (re) E. Abd e r h a l d enand S. Buadze. (b) E.
Abderhalden and G. Effkemann (Fermentforsch., 1933, 14, 76—103, 104—114; cf. this vol., 636).—
(a) Examples of the high specificity of the defence enzymes are provided. Thus injection of serum- globulin of healthy individuals of blood-group A into rabbits produces enzymes sp. for globulin A . They do not hydrolyse albumin A of healthy or globulin A or A B of diseased, e.g., carcinomatous, subjects.
Species-speeiiicity is also observed; e.g., injection of rabbit’s liver-protein gives rise to enzymes sp. for liver-protein of the rabbit, bu t not of other animals.
(b) Further examples of organ- and species-
spccificity are given. J . H. B.
Behaviour of cerebron tow ards enzym es. E.
Abderhalden and E. Schwab (Fermentforsch., 1933, 14, 54—55).—Cerebron is hydrolysed by trypsin free from erepsin. J . H. B.
U rease activity as influenced by oxidation and reduction. L. Hellerm an, M. E. Pe r k in s, and W. M. Clarke (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., 1933, 19, 855—
860).—The phenomena of activators are ascribed to oxidation and regeneration of the SH groups of the
enzyme. H. G. R.
Tooth-phosphatase. A. S. E. Mackenzie (Brit.
Dent. J., 1933, 54, 153—159).—Phosphatase is present in teeth (rat). The enzyme content per g.
of tooth decreases rapidly with age. The distribution and activity of the enzyme are directly related to the rate of deposition of mineral m atter in the tissue.
The phosphatase of teeth resembles th a t of bone with regard to (a) relation between p s and activity in the hydrolysis of p-glycerophosphate; (b) activ
ation by M g; (c) power to synthesise phosphoric
esters. Nu tr. Ab s.
Vital properties of yeast-plasm a. V. Jonas
(Chim. et Ind., 1933, 29, Spec. No., 1164—1167).—
Yeast-plasma may retain primitive vital powers after the cclls are dead. In yeast killed by treatm ent with 3% aq. CH ,0 for 1 hr. and then transferred to wort, extrusion of part of the plasma through the cell wall was observed after 1 or 2 weeks, and the extruded portion grew into arborescent clusters of ill-defined granules and in some cases formed small yeast-like cells, 1-8x1 n, of very feeble reproductive power and incapable of fermentation (cf. A., 1931,
1333). J . H. L.
H ydrolysis of am ides by T orula u tilis . D e
pendence of developm ent of enzym es in plants on nitrogen a ssim ilation . G. Gorrand J. Wagner
(Biochem. Z., 1933, 266, 96—101; cf. A., 1932, 1289).—The extent to which Torula (I) hydrolyses amides greatly depends on the kind of N source (II) in the nutrient medium in which (I) is cultivated.
When (II) is inorg. [(NH4)2S 0 4] the hydrolytic power (III) is nil or very small unless the growing (I) is first treated with glucose. W ith other (II) (NH2-acids, urea, m alt extract) there are wide variations. E xtracts of autolysed (I) behave like (I) itself. The (III) of (I) is reduced by treatm ent
with COMe2. W. McC.
D eterm ination of m etabolism of m o u ld s. A. J.
Kluyver and L. H. C. Perquin (Biochcm. Z., 1933, 266, 6S—81).—Satisfactory material cannot be obtained except by the “ shaking method,” since it is neeessaiy to have a large amount of homogeneous culture and to restrict the duration of growth as
much as possible. W. McC.
[Optim um ] conditions for production of kojic acid by A sp e rg illu s fla v u s, Link. A. J. Kluyver
and L. H. C. Perquin (Biochem. Z., 1933, 266, 82—95).—The most favourable conditions (giving 67% yield) for the production by A. flavus (I) of kojic acid (II) from glucose (III) are : use of the
“ shaking method,” cultivation of (I) in a medium (IV) containing sugar and mineral m atter (optimum composition given), lack of assimilable N compounds, high acidity (pR 2-2) of (IV), plentiful supply of 0 2.
When (III) is substrate (V), (II) is probably a direct product of transformation, but with other (V) (fructose, galactose, xylose, arabinosc, mannitol, erythritol, glycerol) there is probably intermediate production
of C6 carbohydrates. W. McC.
Degradation and consum ption of protein by m oulds. T. Chrz^szcz and F. Pisula (Biochem.
Z., 1933, 266, 29—45).—The ability of Pénicillium to grow in milk (I) varies greatly according to the species used (77 moulds tested). There is also great variation in the extent and rapidity of decomp. (II) of the proteins of (I). The type of (II) which pro
ceeds to NH3 production (III) is not related to the N consumption or to the change in acid content (IV) of the (I). During the growth (IV) usually decreases in consequence of (III) or because acids are
consumed by th e moulds. W. McC.
Action of various fungi on aldoses and related substances. A. Angeletti (Atti R. Accad. Sci.
Torino, Cl. Sci. Fis. Mat. Nat., 1932, 67, 272—276;
Chem. Zentr., 1933, i, 3461).— Pénicillium luteum- purpurogenum forms from ¿-fructose and sucrose small quantities of citric acid; P. crustaceum forms this only from fructose, whilst from sucrose it forms considerable quantities of cZ-gluconic acid.
A. A. E.
B iochem istry of m icro-organism s. XXXIX.
M echanism of production of phenolic acids from glucose by P é n icilliu m b re vi-co m p a c tu m , D ierckx. A. E. Oxford and H. Raistrick (Bio
chem. J., 1933, 27, 1473—1478; cf. this vol., 949).—
A Raulin-Thom medium was incubated with P. brevi- compactum and the contents were analysed after periods of 8, 11, 15, 22, and 56 days. Destruction of glucose and tartaric acid occurs concurrently. The end-products of metabolism are mycophenolic acid (I), hydrated 3 : 5-dihydroxy-2-carboxybenzoyl Me ketone (II), and 3 : 5-dihydroxyphthalic acid (III). Acetyl-3 : 5-dihydroxy-2-carboxyphenylcarbinol (IV) is an intermediate product. The yield of (I) increases con
tinuously throughout the period. About 40% of (II) formed appears towards the end of the incubation period. The yield of (IV) rises rapidly to a max. in 15 days ; after 56 days all has disappeared. (Ill) is never present in large amounts. (II) is present in small amounts in the early stages, but disappears
after 22 days. H. D.
BIOCHEM ISTRY. 1333
Ferm entation products of M u co r. III. P ro
duction of glycerol and effect of addition of N a H S 0 3 and N a2C 0 3. T. T a k a h a s h i and T. Asai (J. Agric. Chem. Soc. Japan, 1933, 9, 443—448).—The production of glycerol by twenty-three varieties of Mucor (3-8—9-0% of the sugar assimilated) was approx. parallel to the production of EtOH, and was increased by addition of N aH S03 (optimum, 6-0%, yield 21-5%) or Na2C03 (4-0%, 23-5%). Ch. Ab s.
Therm ophilic ferm entation of cellulose and cellulosic m aterials. W . H. Peterson and S.
Snieszko (Zentr. Bakt. P ar., 1933, II, 8 8, 410—417).
—An organism isolated from horse manure is exam
ined. A. G. P.
M annitic ferm entation of fructose : possible m echanism . V. Bolcato (Annali Chim. Appl., 1933, 23, 405—410).—The fermentation of fructose by a mannito-acetic organism yields lactic acid, mannitol, AcOH, and C02. The amount of lactic acid formed is independent of the amounts of the other products, but the latter accord with the equation 3C6H120 G= 2 C6H w0 G-f2 A c0 H + 2 C 0 2. A probable mechanism of the fermentation is suggested.
T. H. P.
Cheese ripening. C aseinogen-splitting abil
ities of lactic acid bacteria. B. A. Eagles and W. Sadler (Canad. J . Res., 1933, 9, 44—48).—The activities of a no. of cultures isolated from cheese are recorded. Differences occur in the proteolytic pro
cesses brought about by the various organisms. A synthesis of protein is indicated in certain cases.
The process of autoclaving skim milk with or without CaC03 causes changes in the N compounds of the milk.
A. G. P.
B acterial phosphatases. I. D ecom position of phosphoric acid esters by C lo strid iu m a ce to - b u ty lic u m , W eizm ann. R. D. H . Heard and A. M.
Wy n n e. II. P hosphatases of Cl. a c e to b u ty l- ic u m , W eizm ann, and P r o p io n ib a c te r iu m Jen - sen ii, Van N iel. L. B. Pett and A. M. Wy n n e
(Biochem. J., 1933, 27, 1655— 1659, 1660—1671).—
X. Na hexose diphosphate (I) (1-2%) is not fermented by living Cl. acetobutylicum (II), but in glucose-peptone cultures both (I) and Na (3-glycerophosphate (III) are hydrolysed, apparently by a true phosphatase present in the cultures. In 0-75% concn. both (I) and (III) completely inhibit the fermentation of glucose.
II. The max. activities of the phosphatase (IV) system of P. Jcnsenii (V) are a t p a 7-0 for a- or ¡3-(III), 6-0 for (II), and 7-0 for Na pyrophosphate;
whilst for (II) the corresponding vals. are 5-1, 6-0, and 7-2, respectively. The pyrophosphatase (VI) of (V) is much weaker than the other two phosphatases (VII), whereas in (II) it is much more active. All (VII) are activated in various degrees by Mg” , but the latter is probably not a true co-enzyme. Of other ions tested Zn" has an activating effect on the (VI) system of both organisms, b u t not on the other (VII).” Pree phosphate has an inhibitory effect, as in the case of mammalian (IV). Other properties of the enzymes are described. W. 0 . K.
H ydrogenase and hydrogenlyase. II. B ac
terial form ation of m ethane by reduction of
one-carbon com pounds by m olecular hydrogen. III.
Form ation of form ic hydrogenlyase by B . co li.
M. Stephenson and L. H. Stickland (Biochem. J., 1933, 27, 1517—1527,1528—1532).—II. An organism has been isolated which can live anaerobically on an inorg. medium with a 1-C compound as sole source of C. AcOH and many other higher fatty acids are not attacked by the organism. W ith H C02H the reaction occurs in two stages, the C02 first produced being subsequently reduced to CH4.
III. No formation of fermic hydrogenlyase takes place with young cultures of B. coli in presence of formate alone. The enzyme synthesis takes place in tryptic broth probably by interaction of the cells and the medium, and is a linear reaction.
P. G. M.
M echanism of respiration of pneum ococci.
M. G. Sevag (Annalen, 1933, 507, 92—110; cf. this vol., 867).—The 02 consumed by solutions of glucose (I) and lactic acid (II) containing virulent pneumo
coccus type I (III) during 10—20 min. is converted almost quantitatively into H20 2; during 60—120 min.
the vals. are 61-5—77-1%. W ith non-virulent type I (IV), the corresponding vals. are all smaller. The 02 consumptions of (I) and (II) with other virulent and non-virulent types, and the amounts of 0 2 trans
formed into H202 during 180 min. are determined.
The end-products are AcOH and CO ,; AcCHO, (II), AcC02H, or MeCHO from (I) or AcC02H or MeCHO from (II), could not be detected. "(II) may be oxidised thus : 0H-CHMe-C02H + 0 2— >-
[0H-0-CMe(0H)-C02H]— ^A cO H -fC 02+ H20 . The ratio C02 evolved : 02 consumed during oxidation of (II) is, however, 0-52—0-77 for all the pneumococci used. W ith (III) or (IV) the val. is 0-73 for both (I) and ( I I ) ; this is decreased to about 0-45 by addition of catalase and increased to about 1-3 by addition of AcC02Na. The 02 consumptions of (I) and (II) with all the types are increased by varying amounts (27—
1772%) by addition of AcC02Na or catalase; the amounts of C02 evolved increase also. The above oxidations are accelerated by 0-004—0-02IV-KCN, especially when young cultures are used; the acceler
ation is > with the virulent types. Addition of KCN to (I) or (II) + A cC 02Na also increases the activity. EtO H and PrOH are not attacked using the virulent types; reaction is slow with the
non-virulent types. H. B.
Bacteriological oxidation of sulphur in an A ustralian so il. P. M. Rountree (Austral. J.
Exp. Biol., 1933,11, 210—218).—The rate of S oxid
ation in the Renmark clay loam is optimum with a H 20 content between 60 and 90% saturation, and at
16-—35°. A member (I) of the Thiobacillus group isolated from the soil is described and its relations to T. thio-oxidans and T. trautweinii are discussed. By the action of (I) the p a of the soil is changed from 8 - 4 to 4-5 in 12 days, the accumulation of acid then
preventing further growth. A. L.
N itrogen and vitam in requirem ents of B . ty p h o s u s . P. Fil d e s, G. P. Gladstone, and B. C. J . G. Knight (Brit. J . Exp. Path., 1933, 14, 189—196).—Four strains of B. typhosus grew readily in a synthetic medium containing a mixture of
NH2-1334 B R ITISH CHEMICAL ABSTRACTS.----A.
acids. Tryptophan (I) appeared to be essential for growth, and the absence of leucine, lysine, or cystine delayed, but did not completely inhibit, growth.
Full growth was obtained with 0-0004% of (I), and traces when this was diluted 125 times. Some strains were educated to grow without (I) by a process of serial sub-cultures in increasing dilutions of (I) in a medium containing NH4C1. The “ sporogenes ” vit
amin improved growth of the bacteria both -with and without (I) in the medium. Nu tr. Ab s. (6)
Variation in the character of tubercle bacilli derived from filterable elem ents of the virus. J.
Valtisand F. van De in se (Atm. Inst. Pasteur, 1933,
5 1 , 419—427).—Injection of a COMe2 extract of the tubercle bacillus facilitates the development of acid-fast bacilli in animals previously injected with the filterable virus. Starting from the bovine virus it is possible to obtain, according to the species of animal employed, a predominance of the variant B (mammalian type) or of the variant S (avian type).
The existence of only one virus, common to all species,
is suggested. P. G. M.
Production and properties of p-tuberculin. P.
Kael6s and G. Hoffmann (Biochem. Z ., 1933, 2 6 6 ,
132—136).—When the ultrafiltrate from culture media in which tubercle bacilli have been grown is treated with E t0 H - E t20 mixture (1 :1 ) a stable, hygroscopic, highly active solid, |3-tuberculin (I) (C 44-5, H 7-5, N 9-85, P 1-44, 0 36-72%) is pptd.
(I), which is sol. in dil. alkali yielding solutions not inactivated by boiling, and contains no protein, is also obtained from the skin, urine, and blood-serum of tubercular patients. I t is probably a polypeptide and can be colorimetrically determined by means of the Adamkiewicz reaction. W. McC.
P hysiology of lum inous bacteria. A. Mudrak
(Zentr. Bakt. Par., 1933, II, 8 8, 353—366).—Organ
isms grow and are luminous in media containing NaC103 (up to 9%), KC103, or N a2S20 3. Develop
ment is inhibited by NaC104, N aB r03, N a I0 3, and K I 0 3. The presence of Na is essential to the growth of all species examined. As sources of 1ST the organ
isms can utilise asparagine, aspartic acid, or glycine, b ut urea, tyrosine, K or N H4 nitrate are unsuitable.
Only the N H 2-N of aspartic acid is utilised. Normal development occurs in the absence of dissolved N, and the possible fixation of atm. N2 is discussed.
The presence of free 02 is essential for luminescence, although respiratory 0 m ay be derived from N 0 3' or C103' in the nutrient. Oxidation of peptone by NaOCl is accompanied by luminescence. The latter is not apparent when aq. Br or H202 is used.
A. G. P.
M icrobiology of com m on salt. E. KL. Petrowa
(Arch. Mikrobiol., 1933, 4 , 326—347).—Micro-organ
isms surviving in salt solutions are found to resemble those found on the sea bottom. A. G. P.
Production of m ucus during the decom posi
tion of plant m aterials. I. Effect of environ
m ental conditions. II. Effect of changes in the flora. J . G. Sh r ik h a n d e (Biochem. J., 1933,
2 7 , 1551—1562, 1653—1574).—I. A physical test for the evaluation of stickiness (I) is described. An
alkaline reaction, final p H 9-5— 10, and an abundance of microbial tissue tend to give high vals. for (I) during decomp, by mixed flora. Na" and K" produce more (I) th an Ca" or Mg".
II. Fungi (II) and bacteria working independently, (II) followed by M . agreste, and simultaneous in
oculation of (II) and S. cytopliaga (III) produce little (I), whereas (I) is produced by (II) followed by (III), even if the action of (II) is brief. During decomp, the loss of carbohydrate and N is approx. in proportion to the loss of dry m atter. H. G. R.
Coagulation of bacterial suspensions. G. Ya
maha (Arch. Phys. biol., 1933, 10, 134—143; Chem.
Zentr., 1933, i, 3955).—Isoelectric points are recorded.
A. A. E.
M ethods of m itigatin g filterable viru ses by precipitation for the purpose of preventive im m unisation. I. Precipitation of vaccine virus by alum inium or ferric hydroxide and the anti
genic value of the precipitated virus. T. Kodama
(Kitasato Arch. Exp. Med., 1933, 1 0 , 243—258).—
Vaccine virus becomes inactivated on adsorption by Al(OH)3, Fe(OH)3, or Zn3(P 04) 2 gels. The virus can be reactivated by elution with Na2H P 04 or by dissolution in N a citrate or tartrate. Al(OH) 3 ppts.
contain smaller amounts of adsorbed protein than
do other ppts. Ch. Ab s.
O ligodynam ic action of copper. II. W.
Schwartz and H. Steinhard (Arch. Mikrobiol., 1933, 4 , 301—326; cf. A., 1931, 1334).—Stimulatory effects of Cu on the growth of Aspergillus niger (I) occur in nutrients containing 0-0 0 0 0 1—0-0 0 0 0 0 1% of Cu. An increase in p n of the medium during growth favours the intake of Cu and a falling p a leads to a partial return of absorbed Cu to the medium.
Of the Cu taken up by the mycelium a portion is readily leached out by H20 ; the rem ainderis probably chemically combined. The pigment of the conidia contains no Cu. The N balance of (I) is influenced by Cu only in the second growth stage. The filtrate from Cu-containing cultures contains more N H 3- and less N H 2-N th an corresponding controls. R e
duction of N 0 3' in all cultures was rapid. Reduction products appear to react with sugar in the medium and accumulate temporarily in this form. Cu is essential to the normal development of (I).
A. G. P.
Sterilisin g action of acids. II. Saturated m onobasic fatty acids. I. S. Tetsumoto (J.
Agric. Chem. Soc. Japan, 1933, 9, 388—397).—At the same mol. concn., th e sterilising action for Eb.
typhi and V. cholerce of H C 02H is > th a t of any acids from C2 to C5. Octoie, nonoic, and decoic acids have a strong action owing to their undissociated mols.
The effect of fatty acids < C5 depends on p a and concn. of the undissociated m ols.; n- are more effective th an iso-compounds. The effects of mineral acids are
> those of saturated monobasic acids a t the same mol.
concn., b u t the effects are reversed a t the same p K.
Ch. Ab s. B actericidal efficiency of m enthol and cam phor. L. Ge r sh en fe ld and R. E. Miller (Amer.
J . Pharm., 1933, 1 0 5 , 490—502).—1% solutions of menthol (I) and camphor (II) in petroleum have no
BIOCHEMISTRY. 1335
bactericidal action on S. aureus or B. typhosus.
Saturated aq. solutions of (I) b u t not of (II) were effective, and both solutions were bacteriostatic against B. coli. PhOH-coeffs. are given for solutions of (I) and (II) in a solvent containing EtO H 31, glycerol 31, and soap 6-6%. S. C.
Influence of horm ones on absorption. Inter
nal secretions and perm eability. II. E. Gell-
hornand D. Northup(Amer. J . Physiol., 1933, 103, 382—391).—In frogs the small intestine was perfused with 3-15% glucose and the mesenteric vessels with Ringer’s solution with and without hormones.
Adrenaline (1 in 5 x l 05 to 5x10°), thyroxine (1 in 5 X101 to 2 x l 0 5) and insulin (0-02—0-01 unit per c.c.) increased absorption of sugar; adrenaline ( 1 in 10® to 2-5 x lO 6) and insulin (0-005 unit per c.c.)
decreased it. Nutr. Ab s.
Spleen horm one. Y. Tokumitsu (Trans. Japan.
Path. Soc., 1932, 22, 345—351).—There are possibly two splenic hormones, (a) sol. in H20 , controlling thrombocytosis after ultra-violet irradiation, and (6) insol. in H 20 but sol. in E t20 , regulating Ca
metabolism. Ch. Ab s.
Action of the diuretic liver horm one. J.
Mosonyi and L. Voitii (Arch. exp. Path. Pharm., 1933, 173, 72—77).—W ith a frog’s kidney prep., the passage of a perfusion fluid through the liver and heart to the kidney [i.e., glomeruli (I) and tubuli]
produces increased diuresis, which also occurs when (I) are omitted from the perfusion, the content of NaCl in the urine being then considerably diminished.
E. O. H.
Intestinal w all as site of form ation of choline and its im portance for intestinal m ovem ent.
G. K a h ls o n (Klin. Woch., 1933, 12, 1015—1017).—
The intestinal wall is able to liberate large amounts of choline (I) from lecithin; the entire small intestine of the guinea-pig produces in about 1 2 hr. as much (I) as is in the entire animal. Muscles may, under powerful tetany, set free considerable amounts of ( I) ; the small gut contains 2—3 times as much (I) as the stomach or muscles; blood carries very much smaller amounts. The uterus is rich in (I). During peristal
sis (I) is liberated from the lecithin of the gut, but the immediate peristaltic stimulus is distension of the gut by ingesta. Acetylcholine is of importance as a chemical adjunct to the distension effect.
N u t r . Abs. (b) Concentration and purification of a growth inhibitor extracted from kidney. F. A. McJunkin and C. D. Hartman (Proc. N at. Acad. Sci., 1933, 19, 823—824).—The prep, from ox kidneys of a sub
stance th a t inhibits the mitotic activity of the renal epithelium of young rats is described. H. G. R.
Presence of m elanophore horm one in hum an organs. A. Joresand W. Vel d e (Arch. exp. Path.
Pharm., 1933, 173, 26—30).—The hormone (cf. this vol., 1086) occurs only in the eye and m id-brain;
the thyroid, liver, and kidney give a positive but non-sp. response to the test used. F. 0 . H.
Presence of m elanophore horm one in hum an body-fluids. A. Jores (Arch. exp. Path. Pharm., 1933, 173, 31—35).—Normal blood contains an
average of 1-27 units of the hormone (I) per litre.
The level is not related to the hair pigmentation. A substance occurs in the urine which causes melano
phore formation but does not show the chemical properties of (I). The occipital and lumbar fluids of man are free from (I), whilst the occipital fluid and, after exposure to darkness, the aq. humour of the
rabbit contain (I). F. O. H.
B iological assay of callicrein. H. Weese (Arch, exp. Path. Pharm., 1933, 173, 36—41).—Callicrein (A., 1932, 972) can bo detected in urine by its action on the carotid blood-pressure of dogs (but not of cats or rabbits), using its heat-lability to differentiate it from the other depressor substances which are
relatively heat-stable. E. O. H.
Effect of callicrein in decreasing blood-sugar.
G. Straube (Deut. Arch. klin. Med., 1933, 175, 221— 225).—Intramuscular injection of callicrein decreases to a small extent the blood-sugar of diabetics, and, usually, of normal individuals. I t is uncertain whether this action is characteristic or duo to traces of other hormones, e.g., insulin, in the prep.
N u t r . Abs. (b) Salivary glands. III. Y. Hi k i, K. Akazaki,
N u t r . Abs. (b) Salivary glands. III. Y. Hi k i, K. Akazaki,