1916] 
ZELLER—PHYSIOLOGY OF LENZITES SAEPIARIA 463 
vanillin was observed. Water then may be a factor to increase 
this oxidation process in the production of vanillin from 
woody tissues; at least very moist conditions seem to aid this 
action or the action of emulsin in the liberation of the coni- 
feryl alcohol. 
TANNASE 
Knudson (713, *13*), in his two papers on the tannic acid 
fermentation, gives a review of the literature on this subject 
up to that time. All of this literature deals with the tannase 
found in Aspergillus and Penicillium, but no work has been 
TABLE VI 
STUDY OF THE HYDROLYSIS ES TANNIN BY THE ENZYME DISPERSION FROM 
NZITES SAEPIARIA 
Gallic acid after 4 Net over 
det of enzyme dispersion in eeks’ hydrolysis Чака 
2 of 1 per cent tannin solu- 
tion 
Mycelium | Sporophore | Mycelium | Sporophore 
mg. mg. mg. mg. 
5 сс. dispersion. ............... 7.39 5.88 Om cL. LO URP 
5 сс. mmer Suey E 3.28 ees 
5 cc. distilled eater. 1721 EE ЖОБАНТ 
done to determine tannase іп the higher fungi. Knudson, 
however, did determine the toxicity of tannic acid for fungi, 
and included in his list such higher forms as Polyporus sul- 
phureus, P. resinosus, and Fomes applanatus. On 0.25 per 
cent tannic acid in bean decoction he found Polyporus sul- 
phureus and P. resinosus to grow well, but no growth was 
made by any of these forms on 2 per cent tannin. 
To determine the hydrolysis of tannic acid to gallic acid, 
Jean’s (200) iodine titration method was used. The tannin 
is precipitated with albumin and salted out with excess of 
sodium chloride, and the gallic acid remaining is titrated 
against a standard iodine solution. The value of the albumin 
solution in terms of the iodine must be subtracted from the 
gross value of the titration. The experiments follow in 
table vr. The increase of gallic acid here is very strong and 
must be regarded as evidence of tannase in the mycelium of 
the fungus. 
