THE FORMATION OF PROTEIDS IN PLANT-CELLS. 
59 
the same atomic group, that leads by the decomposition of 
proteids with hydrochloric acid to lysin C 6 H I4 N 2 0 2 and lysatin 
C 6 H I3 N 3 0 2 , which were discovered by Drechsel. Arginin is con¬ 
tained also in the Cucurbita-shoots but only in very small 
quantities; also in the soya-shoots it appears to be present. 1 ) 
Another nitrogenous substance, not found hitherto in plants, 
was discovered by E. Schulze and 7 . Barhieri in the young leaves 
of Platanus, allantoin. 2 ) 
Also the bark of Aesculus Hypocastanum and leaves of Acer 
pseudo-platanus and Acer campestre contain small quantities. 3 ) 
While the shoots of. Platanus- buds contain as much as i% 
allantoin, it could not be discovered in many other plants (Vicia, 
Trifolium , Betula, Fagus, Tilia, Populus, Vitis vinifcra,. shoots of 
Cucurbita and Lupinus .) 1 2 3 4) 
Urea as such has not yet been found in plants, but the 
closely related guanidin was discovered by E. Schulze in shoots 
of Vicia sativa . 5 ) Still another base was found by E. Schulze and 
E. Bosshard in young Vicia and Trifolium, in cotyledons of ger¬ 
minating Cucurbita and in ergot (Claviceps purpurea)) it was called 
vernin, corresponds to the formula C l6 H 20 N 8 0 8 + 3H 2 0 and yields 
by decomposition with hydrochloric acid guanin . 6 ) Later the 
same substance was found by E. Schulze and A. v. Planta also in 
the pollen of Corylus avellana and of Pinus sylvestris. 7) Whether 
this base results from decomposition of protein has not been 
proved positively, but as to the other products mentioned, there 
cannot exist any doubt. Gorup-Besanez, who first discovered 
leucin in plants (shoots of Vicia), was also the first to demonstrate 
• » 
1) E. Schulze, Zeitsch. f. physiol. Chem. n, 43 and Journ. f. prakt. Chem. 32, 
433 - 
2) Ber. d. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 13, 1602. Allantoin, C4H6N4O3, occurs in the 
animal body and is a derivative of urea, a diureïd of glyoxylic acid. Also arginin is 
a derivative of urea ( Schulze) like lysatin {Drechsel). 
3) Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem. 9, 420. Richardson and Crampton found small 
quantities of allantoin in germinating wheat (Ber. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. ig). 
4) All these plants were kept for some time in the dark to bring- on a decomposi¬ 
tion of protein ( E . Schulze). 
5) Ber. d. Deutsch. Chem. Ges. 25, 658. 3 kilo of dry shoots yielded only ig. 
of nitrate of guanidin. 
6) Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem. 10, 80. 
7) Ibid. 10, 326. From 1300 g. of Corylus-pollen about ig. of vernin was ob¬ 
tained. 
