90 PLANT RESPIRATIOK 



are changed to sugar by fungi. The sugar is then fermented to 

 CO2 and ethyl alcohol.^ 



By means of all these results, not only the work of Diakonow 

 but the older investigations of Wilson and Moeller were over- 

 hauled.- The theory of the genetic connection of anaerobic 

 with normal respiration has again been re-established and can 

 now be expanded further. 



Influenced by the discovery of zymase and by the various 

 later experimental results, the opponents of the theory of con- 

 nection, Godlewski and Palladin, have also modified their views. 

 After Godlewski and Polzeniusz proved the identity of anaerobic 

 respiration of pea seeds with alcoholic fermentation, Godlewski^ 

 accepted the theory of connection and believed that he could 

 take for granted that the Wortmann hypothesis is in the main 

 correct. Wortmann made the unproven assumption that I/N 

 equals i , and in his scheme it is upon this value that the repre- 

 sentation of the decomposition of sugar depends. Yet Godlew- 

 ski alludes to the fact that this scheme can hold in principle for 

 other values of I/N. For example, if IN — 0.5, the following 

 reactions are possible, according to Godlewski: 



(I) sCeHioOe = 6CH3— CH2OH 4- 6CO2 



(II) 6CH3— CH2OH -f 12O0 = CeHi.Oe + 6CO2 + 12H2O. 

 Takahashi^ takes issue with this conception, for he points out 



that ethyl alcohol is less easily oxidised than sugar; hence 

 changing sugar to alcohol must retard respiration rather than 

 increase it. 



Palladin^ obtained the following results in his studies of the 

 respiratory metabolism of the single celled alga, Chlorothecimn 

 saccharophilnm. After not too long an anaerobiosis there fol- 

 lows a marked increase in the production of CO2 by the normal 

 respiration. This observation had been made earlier by 

 Maquenne,^ who noted a less marked stimulation. Because 



' Kostytschew, S. und M. Afanassjewa. loc. cit.; Kostytschew, S. Z. f. physiol. Chem. 

 iii: 236. 1920. [Cf. Butkewitsch, W. Biochem. Z. 159: 395-413- 1925 for the basis 

 of opinion that quinic acid is not first changed to sugar.] 



- The fluctuating values of I/N in the case of various plants are likewise to be traced to a 

 more or less serious poisoning of the research material when oxygen is excluded. 



2 Godlewski and Polzeniusz. Anz. d. Akad. d. Wiss. Krakau. 1901, p. 227. 



• Takahashi. Bull. coll. agr. Tokyo 5: 243. 1902-03. 



'■ Palladin, W. Zentralbl. f. Bakt., Parasitenk. u. Infektionskrankh. (II) ti : 146. 1904- 



« Maquenne. Compt. rend. 119: 100, 697. 1894. 



