BIOCHEMICAL ARCHITECTURE 5 



more than 20% of the original extractable oil consists of a provita- 

 min D (ergosterol) and other poorly defined sterols (Bergmann, 

 1949). 



Amines 



Among nitrogen-containing substances much research has been 

 carried out on the amino-acids represented in many animals and 

 yet apart from one very significant study little has been published 

 using the highly refined methods of recent years on oligochaete 

 species. Early chemical analysis of homogenates from L. terrestris 

 shoves that adenine, lysine, leucine, tyrosine, betaine, choline and 

 lactic acid are present (Ackermann and Kutscher, 1922). Likewise 



Table 2 

 Amino-Acid Content of Earthworm Haemoglobin 



the haemoglobin of the blood of L. terrestris has been analysed and 

 contains at least six amino-acid residues (Table 2, Florkin, 1955). 



Paper chromatographic techniques would confirm and expand 

 these observations when applied to a study of the blood, coelomic 

 fluid and muscle homogenates. The interest of such investigation is 

 particularly pointed when one considers that the first conclusive 

 report of a D-enantiomorph amine in animal tissue has recently 

 been made with regard to earthworms. Thoai and Robin (1954) 

 hydrolysed muscle homogenates in a study of the guanidine deriva- 

 tives and phosphagens of annelids. Lombricine (see later), thephos- 

 phagen of earthworms, contains the serine moiety and this was shown 

 to occur as the D-form by Beatty, Magrath and Ennor (1959). Later 

 work has elucidated aspects of the metabolism of this compound. 



The fullest amino-acid analysis yet available refers to two 



