«) 



BIOCHEMICAL FEATURES 81 



+ RH + 2 -» ROOH 



Thermolabile Thermostable Oxidizing agent 



cellular easily oxidized 



substance substance 

 or 



C + 2RH + 2 -> 2 R + H 2 2 



6) flOOH (or H 2 2 ) + Hb -* MetHb 



For comparison, Neill developed another formula to represent 

 the process of methemoglobin formation during the auto-oxidation 

 of other substances: 



(i?H + 2 ->i200H 

 fl) (2flH + 2 -»2fl + H 2 2 



b) ROOH (or H 2 2 ) + Hb -> MetHb 



and for the spontaneous formation of methemoglobin in pure 

 hemoglobin solutions, in which the iron of the hemoglobin may 

 serve as a catalyst, as: 



Hemoglobin -f- x (0 2 ) — » Methemoglobin 



The reactivation of the bacteriolytic activity of oxidized pneu- 

 mococcal extracts, according to Neill, Fleming, and Gaspari 958 ap- 

 pears as still another effect of the oxidation-reduction phenome- 

 non. When oxidized and therefore inactive pneumococcal extracts 

 were treated with bacterial reducing agents (anaerobic bacteria), 

 the extracts regained their lytic power, and showed a species- 

 specificity which argues for their identity with the original bac- 

 teriolytic agent. It was held that this agent is an integral part of 

 the pneumococcal cell, and that its action is reversible and sus- 

 ceptible of being represented by a graphic formula similar to those 

 already given. 



Further evidence concerning the reversibility of the action in- 

 volved in the transformation of oxyhemoglobin to methemoglobin 



