1916] 
ZELLER—-PHYSIOLOGY OF LENZITES SAEPIARIA 497 
of a protease in the sporophores of Cortinellus edodes. It 
acted in neutral or alkaline solutions. 
Rumbold (’08), in cultural studies on various wood-destroy- 
ing fungi, investigated the action of 13 of them on gelatin of 
the following constitution: 24 per cent Liebig’s beef extract; 
24 per cent malt extract; 10 per cent gelatin. The reaction 
was adjusted in one lot by use of sodium carbonate and in an- 
other by the use of sodium hydroxide. She found that L. 
saepiaria was the only one to liquefy gelatin, and this only 
when sodium carbonate was used to readjust the reaction of 
the medium. 
Experiments were conducted using various substrates such 
as gelatin, albumin, casein, legumin, peptone, and fibrin. The 
enzyme preparations and fungous meal were used in some 
cases, while in others the growing fungus was utilized. 
Action on gelatin.—A 10 per cent gelatin was prepared in 
the same way as that used by Rumbold (708), cited above. The 
reaetion was adjusted with sodium earbonate and sodium 
hydroxide, and poured plates prepared and inoculated with 
mycelium of Lenzites. After a growth of 4 days a circle of 
gelatin 1.2 em. in diameter was liquefied in the region of the 
inoeulum, but this only in those plates neutralized with sodium 
carbonate, while there was no liquefaction in those neutralized 
with sodium hydroxide. In the latter the mycelium had pen- 
etrated the gelatin to some extent. Gelatin in the form of 
Mett’s tubes was digested by the enzyme dispersion of the 
mycelium, but sodium hydroxide did not show the same in- 
hibiting effect as mentioned above. Negative results were 
obtained with the sporophoral dispersion. These results are 
quite in accord with experiments of other workers who have 
investigated the influence of the reaction of the medium on 
the growth of timber-destroying fungi. In this case the 
results suggest that there is an effect of alkalis on the metab- 
olism of the fungus, i. e., that the secretion of proteolytic 
enzymes by the living organism is checked by the toxie effect 
of such active alkalis as sodium hydroxide, but when once 
exereted they have no inhibitory effect on the enzyme action. 
