CHEMISTKY. 



749 



opinion that thi" property has not been hitherto noted. Tie states further that it is 

 not entirely insohible in dihite salt solutions. 



"Both gliadin and ^lutenin invariably give the reactions for organic iron and i)hos- 

 phorus, but are not nucleo-proteids. Under the inicroscoi)e the gluten matri.x in 

 thin sections of wheat does not show any indication of iron or pliosphorus, and it 

 must, therefore, be concluded that the organic iron and phosphorus found in gluten 

 are due to nucleins or nucleic acid derived from the nuclei of the large endosperm 

 cells. Probably part is derived from nuclei of the aleurone cells, or of the embryo 

 cells, or from the nucleins present in the cytoplasm of the embryo cells. 



" With the exception of the rapidly dividing cells such as those of the radicle and 

 plumule, iron is found in the nuclei only of the various cells of the wheat grain. 



"Phosphorus is more widely distributed, apjtearing between the aleurone grains; 

 in tine grains in the radicle and })lumule cells; in the foaiu-like mesh work of another 

 type of embryo cell; in the very distinct large granules just described, and in the 

 nuclei of all these cells. From the various ways in which these different cells stain 

 and the several methods of phosphorus distrilxition in them, one may conclude that 

 there are probably several imcleins present. 



" (jliadin exists as such in the wheat grain, and the theory of its formation l)y 

 means of ferment action is not justifiable. Strong alcohol mixed with flour and then 

 diluted with water to a 70 per cent solution extracts gliadin from it; })oiJing alcohol 

 also extracts gliadin from tiour or bran. 



"Glutenin exists as such in the wheat grain; any manipulation that will destroy 

 the hypothetical ferment will coagulate glutenin, thus making gluten formation 

 imp(„)ssible. 



"Gluten formation is not merely a mechanical mixture of gliadin with glutenin, 

 but a definite physical state of the two mixing substances is necessary. Coagulated 

 glutenin with gliadin does not form gluten. 



"There are probably several nucleins or nucleo-proteids in wheat as shown in the 

 various ways phosphorus is distributed in the different types of embryo cells. 

 Organic iron is found only in the nuclei of the endosperm, aleurone, and embryo 

 cells, and in the cytoplasm of the absorption layer, plumule and radicle cells. The 

 proteid between the aleurone grains shows the })resence of organic phosphorus only." 



A bibliography of the subject is appended. 



Proteids: A contribution to the subject, II, F. Kutscher (Zter/tr. Physiol. Chem., 

 38 {1903), No. 1-3, p]>. 111-134)- — With a view to securing data regarding the struc- 

 ture of proteids, the author studied the cleavage products of gluten casein, gluten 

 fibrin, gliadin, mucedin, zein, and thymushiston, the cleavage l)eing induced by 

 heating with dilute sulphuric acid. The method of separating the different cleavage 

 products is described and the results reported in detail. The following table sum- 

 marizes the percentage amount of different cleavage products found: 



Cleavar/e ])ro(lu(is of a numJter of protrkh. 



The results obtained with the first 4 proteids included in the table are discussed 

 with special reference to the composition of wheat gluten. CJliadin and nuicedin are 

 regarded as identical, and the authur proposes that they be grouped together under 



