276 PYRIDOXINE AND RELATED COMPOUNDS 



reduced red blood cell count, low hematocrit, and many young red blood 

 cells). 



8. Other Animals 



The vitamin Be deficiency symptoms in fox pups are similar to those 

 in dogs.^*"' There is a cessation of growth, anorexia, and reduced hemo- 

 globin values. 



Young rainbow trout (Salmo gairdnerii irideus) develop nervous dis- 

 orders when vitamin Be is omitted from the diet; they also lose their ability 

 to judge distances. ^°i 



With the development of synthetic milk diets for young calves, it has 

 been possible to limit the synthesis of vitamins by microorganisms in 

 young ruminants. Young calves do not grow on a vitamin Be-deficient diet. 

 The excretion of vitamin Be and its metabolites is lowered. ^°^ The deficiency 

 is further characterized by lack of appetite, anorexia, sluggishness, listless- 

 ness, poor hair coat (dull and falling out) and, in some cases, epileptiform 

 fits and death; there was no blood pathology. 



C. IN MICROORGANISMS 

 ESMOND E. SNELL 



Pyridoxine, the first member of the vitamin Be group to be I'ecognized, 

 was isolated by virtue of its vitamin activity for animals in 1938, and was 

 synthesized in 1939. Its growth-promoting activity for certain yeasts^"^- ^"^ 

 and lactic acid bacteria^"^' ^'^^ was noted very shortly following its isolation. 

 It is now knowii to be required for growth of a wide variety of bacteria, 

 yeasts, and molds;^''^' ^"^ those not requiring the vitamin appear to synthe- 

 size it. 



Microbiological assay of natural materials with lactic acid bacteria 

 yielded extremely high values for their apparent "pyridoxine" content, as 

 compared with values obtained by other methods; the existence of addi- 

 tional compounds with high vitamin Be activity was therefore postulated. ^"^ 

 These were eventually identified as pyridoxal and pyridoxamine.^^" It 



»o A. E. Schaeffer, C. K. Whitehair, and C. A. Elvehjem, /. Nutrition 34, 131 (1947). 



01 B. A. McLaren, E. Keller, D. J. O'Donnell, and C. A. Elvehjem, Arch. Biochcm. 15, 

 169 (1947). 



02 B. C. Johnson, J. A. Pinkos, and K. A. Burke, /. Nutrition 40, 309 (1950). 

 o» A. S. Schultz, L. Atkin, and C. N. Frey, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 61, 1931 (1939). 

 0' R. E. Eakin and R. J. Williams, J. Am. Chem. Soc 61. 1932 (1939). 



06 E. F. Moeller, Z. physiol. Chem. 254, 285 (1938). 



06 E. E. Snell and W. H. Peterson, /. Bactcriol. 39, 273 (1940). 



0' B. C. J. G. Knight, Vitamins and Hormones 3, 105 (1945). 



08 E. E. Snell in Vitamin Methods, Vol. I, p. 327. Academic Press, New York 1950. 



03 E. E. Snell, B. M. Guirard, and R. J. Williams, J. Biol. Chem. 143, 519 (1942). 

 10 E. E. Snell, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 66, 2082 (1944); J. Biol. Chem. 154, 313 (1944). 



