MECHANISM OF ANTIBODY FORMATION 



129 



herein in all probability lay the asymmetric synthesis; in the chloro- 

 form solution these alkaloids formed colloidal adsorption compounds 

 acting in a capacity very similar to that of an enzyme. 



In this connection it may be mentioned that Bredig and Gerstner 

 (1932) made the interesting observation that by introducing the di- 

 ethylamino group into cotton fibre the latter was rendered catalyti- 

 cally active in effecting the synthesis of 1-mandelonitrile from benzal- 

 dehyde and hydrogen cyanide. 



Rosen thaler (1909) extending the scope of his observations later 

 obtained also 1-, d-, and i- (inactive) forms of nitrile from numerous 

 aldehydes and hydrocyanic acid. Acetaldehyde, isobutyr aldehyde, 

 heptaldehyde, furfural, o-methoxybenzaldehyde, anisaldehyde, cin- 

 namic aldehyde, etc. yielded d-nitriles; only citral and o-phthalylal- 

 dehyde yielded 1-nitrile; chloral, salicylaldehyde, m- and p-oxybenzal- 

 dehyde, p-nitrobenzaldehyde, methyl-ethylketone yielded optically 

 inactive nitriles. These results were interpreted to indicate that either 

 the emulsin preparation contained more than one optically active 

 enzyme, or there exists a certain type of substrate specificity in the 

 synthesis of stereochemical isomers. The results obtained by Bredig 

 and Minaeff (1932) with organic optically active catalysts in some 

 respects were analogous to the above observations made by Rosen- 

 thaler (1909). 



Table III 



CBredig and Minaeff) 



The above results show, as Rosenthaler found, that the specificity 

 of substrate may likewise play a role in defining the optical configura- 

 tion of the final reaction product. 



