294 BACTERIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY 



derived from degradation of the cell proteins, by the 

 mechanism of oxidative deamination followed by de- 

 carboxylation and oxidation (see p. 230) : — 



COOH.CH2.CH2.CH.COOH— >COOH.0H2.Cn2.CO.COOH— >C00H.CH2.CH2.CH0 



NH2 I 



(glutamic acid) (a-ketoglutaric acid) COOH.CH2.CH2.COOH 



(succinic acid) 



It is known that A. niger and Ehizopus nigricans fix 

 carbon dioxide and it is possible that succinic acid may 

 be formed by this process (see p. 258). The largest 

 yields of succinic acid are given by species of Fusarimn, 

 Mucor and Rhizopus. 



Kojic Acid. — Kojic acid was first isolated from the 

 mycelium of Aspergillus oryzoe, an organism used in 

 Japan to ferment steamed rice, koji, to produce the 

 alcoholic beverage, sake. It has been since shown to be 

 produced by a number of other related Aspergilli and by 

 one species of Penicillium, Some acetic acid bacteria, 

 for example Bad. xylinoides, produce small yields of 

 kojic acid from mannitol and fmctose. The closely 



CO 



related comenic acid, || || > is also produced 



HC C.COOH 







by the gluconic acid bacteria. The constitution of kojic 

 acid was established by Barger and Yabuta as the y- 



CO 



., . . HO.C CH 



pyrone derivative, n \\ 



HC C.CH2OH 



o 



It is produced in 10 to 20 per cent, yields by the fer- 

 mentation of glucose, fructose, sucrose, galactose, lactose, 

 xylose, aral)inose, glycerol, mannitol and starch. The 

 yield of the six-carbon compound, kojic acid, is just as 



