The digestion of yeast cells with the glucanase of Sclerotinia was found to be significantly increased by pretreating the cells with papaya lysozyme, as well as by pretreating with dilute sodium hydroxide solution. Defatted chlorella cells were digested to a certain extent with the glucanase alone. Pretreatment with lipolytic enzyme slightly stimulated the digestion of yeast cells by glucanase, but this effect was not found with the yeast cells treated by soaps or the defatted chlorella cells. Egg white lysozyme had no effect on digestion of yeast cells. The effect of papaya lysozyme seemed to have relation with the liberation of hexosamine compounds from the yeast-cell walls. It is suggested that, in normal cells, the glucan is present to form a further complex structure with certain other component, becoming insusceptible to the action of glucanase.

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A β-1, 3 glucanase was purified by means of Duolite CS 101 resin column chromatography, and obtained in a crystalline form. The enzyme attacked laminarin, releasing glucose as the end product, but did not hydrolyze any glucosidic linkages other than those linked by β-1, 3. Some other properties and specificity of the enzyme are also described.

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The effects on the fat content in livers of amino acid supplements to various cereal diets at 1.12% dietary nitrogen level, which causes fatty livers in young rats, have been investigated. When rats are fed on diets supplemented with amino acid to retain the requirement pattern of essential amino acids, they grow very well, but the accumulation of liver fat fails to decrease. However, when a part of the requirement pattern diets is replaced with 0.30% of L-threonine, the deposition of liver fat shows a clear decrease. The results obtained suggest that this excess part of threonine has a specific action for the prevention of fat deposition in livers regardless of protein utilization, together with the so-called “supplementary effects” of amino acids.

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The optimum pH of the DNA-depolymerase produced by Aspergillus quercinus was found to be about 8.5 and maximal formation of the enzyme in the culture medium was observed at the 96th hour. The culture filtrate of Aspergillus quercinus hydrolyzed DNA into 5'-deoxymononucleotides at a pH range higher than 6.0. Each deoxymononucleotide was isolated as crystals in good yield from an enzymatic digest of DNA and characterized spectrophotometrically, enzymatically and by determination of its nitrogen and phosphorus composition. 5'-Deoxyinosinic acid was obtained by hydrolysis of DNA with Streptomyces aureus. 5'-Deoxyribotides of hypoxanthine and guanine possessed an attractive taste very similar to that of 5'-inosinic and 5'-guanylic acids.

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The degradation of RNA by the extracellular enzymes of Rhodotorula glutinis (IFO 0559) was investigated. Rhodotorula glutinis produced two kinds of RNA-depolymerases, but no formation of DNA-depolymerase, phosphodiesterase capable of hydrolyzing CaDNPP, phosphomonoesterase and various kinds of deaminases in the culture medium was observed. Both RNA-depolymerases hydrolyzed RNA into 3'-mononucleotides optimally at pH 4.0 and 7.0, respectively. 3'-Mononucleotides were favorably prepared by the enzymatic hydrolysis of RNA at pH 4.0 and 60°C in a final concentration of 2.0% of RNA.

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Rhodotorula glutinis produced three kinds of RNA-depolymerases, namely RNA-depolymerases I, II and III, DNA-depolymerase, phosphodiesterase, capable of hydrolyzing GaDNPP and phosphomonoesterase in the cells. Of the three RNA-depolymerases produced by Rhodotorula glutinis, RNA-depolymerase I hydrolyzed RNA into 5'-mononucleotide and RNA-depolymerase II and III degraded RNA into 3'-mononucleotides. RNA-depolymerase I was produced in the cells at the early stage of the logarithmic phase of growth but RNA-depolymerase II and III were produced during the late logarithmic and the early stationary phase of growth. DNA-depolymerase was produced in the cells at the early stage of the logarithmic phase of growth and hydrolyzed DNA into 5'-deoxymononucleotides and deoxyoligonucleotides.

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The solubilities of monocalcium and monomagnesium diglutamate and calcium, magnesium, barium and strontium glutamate in water were measured in respect to both the L-form and the DL-form to conjecture the constitution of the racemic modification of each salt. It was concluded from the result that only magnesium DL-glutamate among six saltsis a congromerate and the others except the barium salt are all racemic compounds. The conclusion was supported by results from measurements of the infrared spectra and the X-ray diffractions. As for barium glutamate, a definite conclusion could not be obtained, but its racemic form seems to be congromerate or a racemic compound with a weak affinity between the isomers. Optical resolution based on the inoculation method was tried for calcium, magnesium, barium and strontium DL-glutamate, and the selective crystallization of the active form from the supersaturated solutions of magnesium and calcium DL-glutamate proceeded, though the process was unstable in the latter case; on the other hand, the resolutions of barium and strontium DL-glutamates were quite unsuccessful.

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A novel method is described for the synthesis of pyrimidine nucleosides. 1-β-D-Glucopyranosyl-, 1-β-D-xylopyranosyl-, and 1-β-D-ribopyranosyl-uracils were prepared in good yields by the condensation of uracil with 1-O-trichloroacetyl-2, 3, 4, 6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-glucopyranose, 1-O-trichloroacetyl-2, 3, 4-tri-O-acetyl-α-D-xylopyranose, and 1-O-trichloroacetyl-2, 3-4-tri-Oacetyl-α-D-ribopyranose, respectively. Glucosyl- and xylosyluracils were prepared under the reaction conditions similar to those used in the Hilbert-Johhson methood, whereas the synthesis of ribosyluracil was carried out by the fusion procedure of the reactants.

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Several gibbene dicarboxylic acids were relactonized to afford lactonic acids, gibberellin Cand desoxygibberellin C. The β-configuration of the hydrogen atom at position 4b of gibberellic acid was supported.

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A total synthesis of racemic epigibberic acid, one of the direct degradation products of gibberellic acid, is described. Racemic gibberone, dehydrogibberic acid and gibberic acid were also synthesized.

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A specific phenomenon of polyalcohol production by yeasts in the medium containing high concentration of sodium chloride was described. Pichia miso, an excellent polyalcohol producing yeast, produced only one type of polyalcohol, namely glycerol, in the medium containing sodium chloride at high concentration, although the yeast could produce three kinds of polyalcohols, glycerol, D-arabitol and erythritol, in the medium containing high concentration of sugar. It was also found that the various yeasts of non-glycerol producing type, could produce a considerable amount of glycerol in the highly saline medium. This phenomenon suggests that the metabolic pathways of yeasts may be markedly altered by the high concentrations of salts.

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