410 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECOKD. 



I'oots, stems, cotyledons, plumules of Pelargonium seedlings, sections of Lemna 

 minor, Riccia fluitans, Nectria cinnal)arina, Scolopendra vulgaris, and Ricinus 

 communis were studied. Some Mucorinefe with sporangia were examined for 

 catalase, but tbe hyphfe were found to contain catalase only on the exterior. 

 Sections through geranium seedlings showed that catalase was especially active 

 in the region of the vascular system. Even in the wide lumened Scolopendra 

 leaf and in the large vessels of the R. communis leaf the gas originated outside 

 of the living cells. Bubbles could be observed on the walls of the cells but not 

 within. Staining tests with eosin showed that where this coloring ma^er pene- 

 trated hydrogen peroxid could also gain entrance and this was proved by the 

 catalase reaction which occurred. 



Eosin and hydrogen peroxid, however, did not penetrate the living cell. Tests 

 on L. minor and R. fluitans proved that green chlorophyll is not catalytic. By 

 treating the objects with infusorial earth the chromatophores were isolated. 

 In all localities where catalase was found peroxidase could also be noted. 

 Peroxidase was found by Chodat and Bach's pyrogallol method in the vascular 

 and in the intercellular tissues, but not in the chromatophores, and, like cata- 

 lase, not on the epidermis and its formations, i. e., buds, hairs, etc. If a prepa- 

 ration of pyrogallol and glucose was added, the pyrogallol passed through the 

 tissue and the reddish brown purpurogallin crystals could be seen in the inte- 

 rior of the cell, indicating direct oxidase. An increase of temperature iucx'eased 

 the catalase and peroxidase content of seedlings. The various lengths of light 

 rays acted specifically upon catalase and peroxidase formation and gradually 

 incresed both in amount. Potato buds and geranium seedlings v/ere studied in 

 this respect. Catalase and peroxidase activities are two artificial phenomena, 

 and it is concluded that they represent two concurring reactions whose courses 

 are dependent upon conditions favorable to one or the other. 



Assuming that oxygenase is an aldehyde-like substance, it may also produce 

 reductions, i. e., act as a reductase. Methylene blue, according to this, when 

 a peroxidase is absent will be reduced outside of the cell. Therefore, oxygenase 

 might be identical with reductase or with the catalase and peroxidase reac- 

 tions, two artificially produced reactions in which oxygenase is the basis. Ex- 

 tracts from potato buds were used to prove a portion of this theory and the 

 influence of temperature, light, and dialysis were noted. A marked parallelism 

 for catalase, oxidase, and peroxidase was found at 50, 60, 70, 78, 79, and 80° C. 

 Both reactions decreased slowly in activity at 78°, were only slightly pres- 

 ent at 79°, and ceased at 80. This is believed to prove the Identity of the 

 enzyms. Geranium seedlings grown in nutrient solutions were exposed to 

 red, blue, violet, green, covered, and uncovered incandescent lights. Almost 

 all of the tests gave a complete parallelism between the catalase and peroxidase 

 reaction, the length of the ray controlling the amount of ferment present. 

 Dialysis tests with potato bud extracts showed that catalase and peroxidase 

 passed through the semipermeable membrane with the same degree of rapidity. 

 Direct oxidase behaved in the same manner as catalase and peroxidase. The 

 position of reductase in the system was as follows : Catalase — oxidase — peroxi- 

 dase — and reductase. 



The enzyms of Aspergillus terricola, F. M. Scales {Jour. Biol. C'licm., 19 

 (1914), No. Jf, pp. 459-472). — ''Aspergillus terricola produced inulase, diastase, 

 invertase, maltase, alcoholoxidase, emulsin, lipase, protease, and amidase when 

 grown in a medium without these substances. It is evident from the number 

 of enzyms formed that filamentous fungi as well as bacteria may be concerned 

 in the production of the various organic decomposition products which have 

 been isolated from the soil. 



