310 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



A contribution to the kno^vledge of arginin, U. Suzuki {BuJ. 

 Col. A(jr. ToKijn. Jf {1,900). X<>. 1. j>j>. GS. (hjnts. (J). — The author has 

 made a study of the seeds and shoots of a number of Japanese plants 

 in order to investigate the question of the presence, formation, and 

 transformation of arginin and its relation to the regeneration of proteids 

 and the influence of light and othei' agents upon these processes. The 

 seeds and shoots of Cryptomeria japonica., Giiujko hiloba., and Piniis 

 thunhergii were investigated and arginin isolated from them. It was 

 found that the proteids prepared from the seeds of these plants pro- 

 duced, under the action of dilute acids, a considerable (juantity of 

 organic bases, the chief of which was arginin. This is particularly 

 abundant in the etiolated shoots of Cryptomeria and Pinus and exists 

 in a small quantity in the shoots of Gingko. The chemical nature 

 of the proteids examined in both the shoots and seeds is considered 

 identical as they gave the same decomposition products. 



In the second portion of the paper the author reports investigations 

 of the synthetical formation of arginin; the efi'ectof light and mineral 

 nutriment upon its formation and transformation, studying not only 

 coniferous plants l)ut a number of others. It was found that arginin 

 in coniferous plants is not only the result of a decomposition of pro- 

 teids but can be synthetically formed from ammonium salts and also 

 pro])ably from nitrates. Those plants not belonging to the Conifers 

 which were examined were unable to produce arginin b^^ the assimila- 

 tion of ammonium salts, asparagin being their only product. The 

 synthetical formation of arginin took place equally well in difi'used 

 and bright sunlight. Whether it is formed in darkness is as yet 

 undetermined. It was found to accumulate in large quantities in the 

 shoots of Conifers in the dark as well as in da\'light during the first 

 stages of germination 1)ut the amount diminishes on further exposure 

 to light. Its transformation into proteids may be accelerated under 

 the influence of light by the addition of mineral nutrients. While the 

 greater part of arginin is ])elieved to come from reserve proteids by 

 hvdrol3'tic decomposition, a considerable portion is thought to come 

 from the transformation of other amido compounds. Consequent!}" it 

 is not only a primary but a secondary product. 



Synthesis of albuminoids, W. Palladix {('h((i'koa\ 1S9S: ahs. in 

 Jour. Roy. Micros. Soc. [London], 1900, No. ^, p. 223).— In addition 

 to the intermediate products of the primary synthesis of albuminoids, 

 it is said that there art^ products of the decomposition of albuminoids, 

 intermediate })r<)ducts of the regeneration of the decomposition prod- 

 ucts, and various s])ecial pi'oducts of the l)i'eaking up of the albu- 

 minoids. The decomposition of all)uminoids takes place onl}' in grow- 

 ing organs. In rnvalactuca and Jihteromorpha intesfmalis, a,si>a.rB.g'm 

 was found, but no tyrosin. From this it is stated that the first stage 

 jji the primai'v synthesis of albumen can not be tyrosin. Asparagin and 



