THE FORMATION OF I'ROTEIDS IN PLANT-CELLS. 57 



new production being stopped. There appears in many cases a 

 close connection existing between the decrease of carbohydrates 

 and an incipient decomposition of protein compounds with 

 production of asparagin. Thus Montcverde has observed, that 

 twigs of Syringa vulgaris, kept in the dark for 15 days, produce 

 a great deal of asparagin ; but if the twigs instead of being 

 placed in water are kept in a 6-8 per cent solution of glucose or 

 sucrose, no trace of asparagin is formed, but much starch and 

 mannite. 1 ) Other investigations have elucidated the interesting 

 fact, that the amount of asparagin formed in the germination 

 process increases if the reserve carbohydrates decrease in quantity. 

 The proportion of protein to carbohyrates is 



in wheat-kernels = i : 5 



in peas = 1:2 



in beans =1 : 1,8 



in gourd-seeds =1:1,5 



in soya-beans =1:0,9 



in lupin-seeds =1:0,5. 

 Germinating peas contain 2,4-2,6% asparagin of the dry 

 substance (Sachsse and Kormann). In the shoots of Cucurbita 

 (gourd) there are 40% of the nitrogen of the decomposed proteids 

 present in form of asparagin and glutamin ; generally more of 

 the latter than of the former (E. Schulze). 2) In germinating 

 soya-beans half of the nitrogen of the decomposed protein is 

 found again as asparagin. In the lupin-seeds, however, the 

 greatest amount of asparagin is found; the percentage of nitrogen 

 of the decomposed protein compounds (mostly conglutin), which 

 is present in form of asparagin, is with germs 4 days old = 45,7 



7 u >, =56,7 

 12 „ ,, =63,5 

 24 ,, „ =73,4. 

 In the axial parts (root and stem) of lupin-shoots the 

 asparagin amounts to 30% of the dry matter, in the cotyledons 

 to 8-g%. 3 > The great amount of asparagin in the stem of a 



1) Botan. Centralbl. 1891, 380. Also an observation of Church (Journ. Chem. 

 Soc. 49, 840) may be mentioned here, according to which leaves suffering from 

 albinism contain 2,4 times as much nitrogen in form of amido-compounds (which ?) 

 as green leaves of the same trees (Elaeagnus pungens). 



2) Landw. Jahrb. Vol. 12 p. 916. 



3) E. Schulze, Landw. Jahrb. 17 ; Journ. f. prakt. Chem. 1883. 



