384 NITROGEN BASES 



The hydrolysis of nucleic acid of formula I. into its four 

 constituent nucleotides should be accompanied by a marked 

 increase in acidity but not so the hydrolysis of a nucleic acid of 

 formula II, In his earlier experiments, Jones observed no 

 increase and therefore accepted formula II. as correct, but 

 later Jones and Perkins, using a weak solution of caustic soda, 

 came to the conclusion that there was a small increase in 

 acidity. 



On the other hand, Levene,* holding that the linkage 

 between all nucleotides is of the same order, prefers the fol- 

 lowing formula : — 



HO 



\ 



0=P— O— C^H^O, . C.H^N^O 



/ I 



HO O 



0=P— O— CjHjOj . CiHiNjO 



/ I 



HO O 



0=P— O— CsHjOii . QHaN^O^ 



/ I 



HO O 



I 

 0=P— O— QH^O^ . CsH.Nj 



/ 

 HO 



FURTHER REFERENCES. 



Henry : " The Plant Alkaloids," London, 1924. 



Trier : " Ueber einfache Pflanzenbasen und ihre Beziehungen zum 

 Aufbau der Eiweisstoffe und Lecithine," Berlin, 1912. 



Winterstein and Trier : " Die Alkaloide," Berlin, 1927. 



* Levene : " J. Biol. Chem.," 1919, 40, 420. 



