
1913] CURRENT LITERATURE 505 
or tartaric acid in place of sugar. The ratios for these acids were higher than 
those obtained with sugar, and they increased for the different acids in the order 
in which the acids are named. The general arrangement of the nitrogenous 
compounds in the order of their assimilability was essentially the same for 
these acids as for sugar. 
As a result of his experiments, PURIEWITSCH favors the view of CZAPEK, 
according to which the a-amino acids serve directly as materials for protein 
synthesis. He has overlooked, however, much of the recent work of EHRLICH 
and others who have shown conclusively, for yeasts and Oidium lactis at least, 
that it is only the amido group in the form of ammonia that is used for protein 
synthesis, while the rest of the molecule is entirely rejected. The author, 
therefore, is in error when he states that there is no evidence that the ammonia 
split off from organic compounds serves as a source of material for protein 
synthesis. 
A further contribution to the subject of nitrogen metabolism of fungi has 
been made by Enruicu and Pistscummuk, in their study of the fermentation 
of the primary amines. They find that with yeasts, especially Willia anomala 
and wild yeasts, and Oidium lactis, these substances undergo a fermentation, 
resulting, like the analogous fermentation of amino acids, in the production of 
the higher alcohols. The process results in a substitution of the amido group 
by the hydroxy group according to the following general reaction: 
R- CH,- NH, +347—> R-CH.OH 
By this process tyrosol was obtained from p-oxyphenylethylamine and fl oil 
fre 





















isoamylamine. As in the case of the amino acids, only the nitrogenous 
the molecule is utilized by the organisms, the rest of the molecule being 
‘med into the corresponding alcohol. 
easy fermentation of amines to the corresponding sichele raises the 
n whether the transformation of amino acids to alcohols does not take 
with the intermediate formation of amines rather as NEUBAUER and 
{HERz! believe, than with the intermediate formation of keto-acids. 
continuation of his studies on nitrogen metabolism, EHRLICH® reports a 
mpl e fermentation of an amino acid with the production of the 
He obtained tryptophol (B-indolylethyl peated! by 
y st on trytophan Biedoly! alanin). The chemical pro 
o1 nd are de escribed in det 
: a nutrition on the iaecétion of enzymes by fungi, a problem — 
different investigators have arrived at ae) conclusions, 
und Sacaona. joe {Uberfihrung von Aminen in Alkohole 
el Ber Deatacts ‘Chem. Gesells. 45: 1006-1012. 1912. 
Gaz. 34: £343 1912. 
Uber alg eS (8-indolylethyl Alcohol) ein neues Garprodukt 
sé Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Gesells. 45:833-889. 1912. 





