Nov. IS, 1919 Do Mold Spores Contain Enzyms 9 209 



SUMMARY 



(i) The spores of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sydowi, and to a lesser 

 extent Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus flavus, heated to 63° C. 

 for 30 minutes and shaken with sterile sand, caused a decrease in polar- 

 ization and an increase in reducing sugars in a 10 per cent sterile sugar 

 solution in 3 hours and continued to cause the same changes through- 

 out the 4-day incubation at 45°. Increased activity of a corroborative 

 nature was obtained with 20 per cent sugar solutions. An increase in 

 the number of spores caused an increase in enzymic activity. 



(2) The fact that neither spores heated to 100° C. nor an inoculation 

 with sterile distilled water caused any change, indicated the activity men- 

 tioned above to be enzymic in nature. 



(3) The enzym present exhibited activities indentical with ivertase, 

 consequently the spores of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus sydowi, Penicil- 

 lium expansum, and Aspergillus flavus contain invert^se. 



(4) The spores of blue aspergillus contained a gum-forming enzym 

 which paralleled invertase activity. 



(5) The limit of concentration of 100,000 to 400,000 mold spores per 

 cubic centimeter for both the invertase activity and the formation of 

 gum was found to be between 18 and 24 per cent actual sucrose. 



(6) Among the practical applications of this phenomenon the de- 

 terioration of manufactured cane sugar and certain transformations in 

 the soil are especially significant. 



