50 



THE FORMATION OF PR0TEIDS IN PLANT-CELLS. 



We have mentioned above that a certain kind of bacillus 1 ) 

 can utilise formic acid (as sodium salt) as a source of carbon 

 which is of special interest. Here the first step is most probably 

 a transformation into glyoxylic acid and a subsequent splitting 

 of the latter into form-aldehyde and carbon dioxide, 2 ' as may be 

 expresed by the following equations; 



2 H.COOH = 0:CH.COOH + H 3 0 

 0:CH.COOH = CELO + CO, 



The necessary energy is evidently furnished here by the 

 oxidation of a certain portion of the sodium formiate into 

 sodium carbonate, clearly indicated by the gradual increase of 

 the alkaline reaction. The more energy, however, a compound 

 yields in being utilised for protein formation, the better the 

 effect must be; we can therefore understand, why methyl alcohol 

 is a better source of carbon than form-aldehyde (in the shape of 

 CH 2 OH.S0 3 Na) or formic acid. Methyl alcohol yields by its 

 transformation into form-aldehyde an amount of energy, that form- 

 aldehyde cannot furnish ; the necessary energy must be gained 

 here by oxidation of such molecules to carbon dioxide and water. 



We understand now why oxalic acid, parabanic acid, urea 

 or guanidin cannot be used as sources of carbon ; this is because 

 these compounds cannot be transformed by bacteria into form- 

 aldehyde. If pyridin, pinacon or dimethyl-oxypyrimidin will 

 not serve, it is very probably on account of the considerable 

 resistance they offer to oxidising influences. If amidoacetal, 

 glyoxal, or ethylendiainin are incapable of yielding a bacte- 

 rial vegetation, and diacetonamin and acetoxim apparently 

 do so only with great difficulties, we might suspect a certain 

 degree of poisonous character, that cannot make its appearance 

 in presence of a nutrient like peptone. 3) But for the difference 

 of physiological value between the stereo-isomeric maleic and 

 fumaric acid, we have at present no explanation. 



As a general rule we find that compounds, containing the 



1) This bacillus, which I named Bacillus mcthylicus, can also utilise the 

 combination of form-aldehyde with primary sodium sulfite, CH 2 OH.S0 3 Na oxyme- 

 thylsulfonate of sodium in 0,5% solution. 



2) Compare Kocnigs, Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 25, 801. 



3) Some of the combinations of this group might perhaps be utilised in much 

 higher dilutions than tested (0,5%). 



