1913] Arthur W. Dox and W. Eugene Ruth 25 



Both benzoylalanine and acetylglycine are hydrolyzed by an en- 

 zyme present in lower fungi. In the case of benzoylalanine the 

 cleavage is considerably less than in that of acetylglycine. A possi- 

 ble explanation of this difference may be the fact that the racemic 

 mixture was employed and the enzyme was specific for only one 

 isomer. This, however, cannot be stated with any certainty since 

 optical studies were not made. It appears probable from the above 

 results that the enzymic cleavage of substituted amino acids is not 

 limited to Compounds strictly analogous to hippuric acid, which 

 occur as excretory products. The reaction is therefore not specific 

 for glycine derivatives, nor for benzoyl or similar radicals contain- 

 ing a cyclic nucleus. 



