482 PRINCIPLES OF SOIL MICROBIOLOGY 



According to Ehrlich, 30 the reaction takes place as follows: 



R R R 



J, I I 



CH • NH 2 + H 2 — ^ NH 3 + CHOH > CH 2 OH + C0 2 



COOH COOH 



Amino acid Hydroxy- Alcohol 



fatty acid 



CH, • CHNH 2 • COOH + H 2 = CH, ■ CH 2 OH + NH, + C0 2 

 Alanine 



CH,\ 



>CH • CH 2 • CH • NH 2 • COOH + H 2 - NH, + 

 CH/ 



Leucine 



CH,\ + Hj 



>CH • CH 2 • CHOH • COOH I_J 

 CH/ 



H 2 0+ 3 NCH-CH 2 -CH 2 C00H--^H 2 + 3 \cHCH 2 • COCOOH 

 CH/ CH/ 



Caproic acid 



CH,. . H CH, X 



C0 2 + >CH • CH 2 • CHO — " >CH • CH 2 • CH 2 OH -> 



CH/ CH/ 



iso-amylalcohol 



4- Oi CH,^ 



1-4 H 3 + >CH • CH 2 • COOH 



CH, 



iso-valerianic acid. 



2. Decarboxylation: 



R-CH-NHrCOOH = R-CH 2 -NH 2 + C0 2 (4) 



R-CH 2 -NH 2 + H 2 = RCH 2 -OH + NH, (5) 



This process of amino acid decomposition through the amine stage, with the 

 formation of alcohol and ammonia, has been described for yeasts and fungi. 31 

 The first part of the process, namely the formation of amines, is characteristic of 

 the so-called putrefaction processes. 32 The transformation of amino acids into 

 nitrogen bases is found to take place in the formation of para-oxy-phenyl-ethyla- 

 mine from tyrosine, of pentamethyl-diamine (cadaverine) from lysine, of tetra- 

 methylenediamine (putrescin) from ornithine, etc. 



31 Ehrlich, F., and Pistchimuka, P. Uberftihrung von Aminen in Alkohole 

 durch Hefe und Schimmelpilze. Ber. deut. chem. Gesell., 45: 1006-1012. 1912. 



3S Rettger, L. F. Studies on putrefaction. Jour. Biol. Chem., 2: 71-96. 

 1906; 4: 45-55. 1907; 13: 341-346. 1912. 



