86 THE VEGETABLE PROTEINS 



We thus have well-defined cases where the nucleic acid separates in 

 combination with two distinctly different proteins. In each case the 

 protein exerts a controlling influence on the general properties of the 

 compound formed, those compounds containing the albumin, leucosin, 

 having in the main the properties of albumin, while those containing 

 the globulin have the properties of this group of simple proteins. In 

 this respect the compounds of protein with nucleic acid behave much 

 like the salts of the simple proteins with strong mineral acids, e.g., 

 hydrochloric and sulphuric, as already described on page 22. 



Since the proteins are polyacid bases and the nucleic acids are 

 polybasic acids, the number of different salts which can be formed is 

 exceedingly large, and we may well expect to obtain from solutions, 

 in which these two substances occur, preparations containing every 

 possible proportion of phosphorus, in other words, just such products 

 as have been actually obtained. 



This must, however, not be understood to mean that definite organic 

 combinations between proteins and nucleic acids do not exist in nature, 

 but simply that, so far as the writer's experience has gone, no evidence 

 has yet been obtained which indicates that any of the preparations of 

 so-called nucleoproteins from plants are anything else than protein 

 nucleates. 



From what has just been said it is clear that definite statements 

 based on a study of isolated products cannot yet be made concerning 

 the occurrence of nucleoproteins in plants. Concerning the evidence 

 of the existence of such compounds which is furnished by microscopic 

 observations of stained tissues, nothing will here be said, for this lies 

 outside of the scope of this monograph as well as of the personal ex- 

 perience of the writer. 



From such knowledge as we now possess it is evident that, at the 

 most, only small quantities of nucleoprotein occur in the entire seed, 

 and that this will be found chiefly in the tissues of the embryo in 

 which the nuclei of the cells are far more abundant than in the tissues 

 of the endosperm. Nucleoproteins have been described as constituents 

 of fungi and bacteria, but no critical study of any of these has yet been 

 made (cf. 287, 169, 201, 202, 203, 198, 529, 549, 220, 137, 254, 215, 

 129, 582,443, 17, 172, 544). 



(b} Glycoproteins. 



Little that is definite can be said concerning the occurrence of 

 glycoproteins in plants. It is certain that many of the known seed 



