Occurrence of Metabolic Processes in Simple Proteins 



279 



is, both quantitatively and quantitatively, a variable process, being directly 

 dependent on the composition of the surrounding medium. 



Thus, we demonstrated the effect on the process, of alteration of the con- 

 centration of amino acids in the surroimding medium (Fig. 2), and also a com- 

 petitive relationship between some of the structural units of protein taking part 

 in the process [3]. Furthermore adenosine triphosphate (ATP) had a variable 

 influence on the process of incorporation of different amino acids by isolated 

 proteins [4]. 



Thus, as may be seen from the evidence presented, according to the con- 

 centration and composition of the free structural units in the surrounding medium 

 and to whether ATP is present or not, alterations may occur in the quantitative 

 relations between the amino acid residues entering into a protein; this, in its 

 turn, will lead to a corresponding alteration in the composition of simple proteins 

 in the course of their formation and decomposition. 



Besides the factors already discussed, which affect the reversible process of 

 formation of simple proteins, we also observed the effect of nucleic acids on it, 

 which, according to our preHminary studies on myosin, causes a shift in the 

 relationship between the processes of incorporation and elimination of the 

 structural units of a protein, leading to an increase in the total amount of 

 protein (Table 2). 



Table 2 



The effect of the composition of the surrounding medium on the increase in the 

 amount of protein during incubation of myosin 



