n. 1). McELROY AM) H. H. SELIGER 



255 



Recently it was fomul that reduction of luciferin with Raney nickel 

 gave an aniinojjhcnol, with an ultraviolet spectrum in acid solution 

 identical to the acid spectrum of /;-aminoj)henol. 



\^igorous acid hydrolysis of luciferin and sublimation of the prod- 

 uct gave a comijoiuid which proved to be the hydroxybenzothia/.ole 

 (III), by comparison with a synthetic sample. Cysteine was also 

 produced in this hydrolysis, and in view of the negative tests referred 

 to earlier, and the properties of the oxidation product of luciferin, 

 the latter is probably present as a thia/.oline. Oxyluciferin, which 

 appears to differ from luciferin simply by two hydrogen atoms, is 

 inferred to have a thiazole as part structure, in view of its nuich 

 greater overall stability, especially to hot strong acid, and the changes 

 in its spectra. 



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COOH 



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HO 



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C-CH=CH-C 



N C-COOH 



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n 



CH 



HO 



CH 



n 



