Studies on Enzyme Action. 



177 



In view of present ignorance of the manner in which fats are formed in 

 the organism and the desirability of determining the extent to which their 

 synthesis can be effected, under various conditions, we have carried out 

 a series of parallel experiments to ascertain the limits within which the two. 

 opposing changes take place in presence of different proportions of the 

 interacting substances and of water. 



In the first series of synthetic experiments, 4*84 grm. of the fatty acids 

 from olive oil (the amount equivalent to 5 grm. of the oil) was used, in each 

 case, together with the quantity (0*53 grm.) of anhydrous glycerol that 

 would be required if the whole of the fatty acid were to be converted into 

 triglyceride. 



The acid and glycerol were weighed into a 50-c.c. Jena glass flask 

 together with - 5 grm. of the enzyme preparation and - 5 c.c. of toluene. 

 The flasks were closed with rubber stoppers and kept slowly rotating in an 

 incubatorf maintained at 30° C. during the times stated. Alcohol was then 

 added and the residual acid titrated with a normal solution of caustic soda. 

 Each determination was made in duplicate and control experiments were 

 carried out simultaneously with a preparation that had been boiled with 

 water to destroy the activity of the enzymes. The results are given in the 

 following table : — 



Table I. — Synthesis of Fat from three Molecular Proportions of Acid to 



one of Glycerol. 



Time 



Acidity of control 



Acidity of mixture containing 

 enzyme 



Percentage of acid 

 combined 



hours 









1 



17 -00 



15-72 15-71 



8-0 



2 



17 -07 



14 -90 15 03 



12 -4 



4 



17-06 



13 -09 12 -92 



23 9 



8 



17 -04 



11 -37 11 -29 



33 8 



17 



16-93 



10 -61 10 -61 



37 -9 



30 



16 -91 



10 -53 10 -67 



38 -0 



50 



16 -65 



10 -43 10 -33 



39 -2 



70 



16-70 



10 47 10 -62 



38 -3 



p. 279 (1907). (6) Hanisik, ibid., vol. 59, p. 1 (1909). (7) Bradley, ' Journ. Biol. Chem.,' 

 vol. 8, p. 251 (1910). (8) Taylor, 'Univ. California Pub. Path.,' vol. 1, p. 33 (1904); 

 (9) ' Journ. Biol. Chem.,' vol. 2, p. 102 (1906). (10) Fokin, 1 Chem. Bev. Fett-u.-Harz. 

 Indust.,' vol. 13, p. 238 (1906). (11) Welter, 1 Zeit. angew. Chemie,' vol. 24, p. 385 (1911). 

 (12) Dunlap and Gilbert, ' Amer. Chem. Soc. Journ.,' vol. 33, p. 1787 (1911). (13) Kransz, 

 'Zeit. angew. Chemie,' vol. 24, p. 829 (1911). (14) Jalander, 'Biochem. Zeit.,' vol. 36, 

 p. 435 (1911). (15) Bournot, ibid., vol. 52, p. 172 (1913). 



t That described in the previous communication (' Boy. Soc. Proc.,' B, vol. 86, p. 589). 

 It may be noted that the figure there given is printed upside down. 



