OTHER ENZYMIC ACTIVITIES 49 



Other exzymic activities. The pathological effects induced 

 by disease-producing fungi might be understood if, in such cases, 

 the enzymic potentialities of the pathogen were known. The 

 production of "shot hole" on Prunus by species of Coccomyces 

 may be used to illustrate and clarify this point. Higgins (1914) 

 found that amy^dalm, stored in the leaves of Prunus, may be 

 utilized by species of Coccomyces which secrete an amvgdalin- 

 cleaving enzyme. Glucose resulting from cleavage induces in- 

 creases in osmotic pressure in invaded tissues. In consequence the 

 cells become swollen, and an abscission layer is formed at the 

 periphery of the invaded tissues. All tissues inside the abscission 

 layer eventually collapse and fall away, and the leaves then have 

 the appearance of having been perforated by a discharge of shot. 



Aspergillus oryzae, when cultured on moist sterilized bran for 

 approximately 48 hours, produces sufficient growth so that the 

 mycelium may be macerated and extracted in water, and the 

 enzymes precipitated and concentrated. This extract, w T hich is 

 strongly diastatic, has been used in a variety of ways. In the 

 textile industry it is employed in the treatment of cotton fabrics 

 before mercerization, bleaching, and preparation for printing. 



The material from apple pomace or from the peel of citrus 

 fruit that is to become commercial pectin is turbid when ex- 

 tracted and must be clarified by enzymic extract from A. oryzae. 

 Furthermore, in clarifying syrups and fruit juices it is often 

 necessary, in order to facilitate filtration, that the starch be re- 

 moved by the addition of enzymes prepared from this same 

 fungus. 



Diastase from A. oryzae and A. flavus is used in the preparation 

 of soya sauce and in the fermentation of rice to make sake and is 

 administered as a therapeutic agent to infants and invalids who ex- 

 perience difficulty in digesting starchy foods. It is also used in 

 analytical procedures to determine the amount of starch present in 

 assays of organic materials. 



The desired flavors of certain cheeses, particularly Roquefort 

 and Camembert, are due to the ability of certain molds to decom- 

 pose constituents of the cheese. FemciUhim roquefortii, for ex- 

 ample, hydrolyzes the butter fats, producing thereby such aro- 

 matic fatty acids as butyric, acetic, capric, and caproic. 



Penicillium brevicaule is among the molds that have been used 

 in the detection of suspected arsenical poisoning. When grown 



