Alkaloids of sinomenine type (OH in 4, H in 1) are linked together in 1, 1'-position by mild oxidation. Here is formed always a pair of isomerides, one of which belongs to the normal series and the other to the pseudo series. The series relation was determined. The authors assume the cause of the existence of the pair in the hindrance of free rotation of the linked molecules by the ethanamine chain. By Hofmann decomposition to the thebenone stage, both the normal and pseudo derivatives gave the same des-N-methyl-bases and thebenones. The ultra-violet absorption curves also showed the difference of normal and pseudo isomerides, but the identity of the des-N-methyl-bases and the thebenones from the both sources.

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The metabolism of pyruvate by hetero-fermenters was found to vary according to experimental conditions; acetic acid formation was increased under aerobic conditions, while anaerobically acetoin formation was accelerated.
When pyruvate was added to the growing culture during the early stage of growth, it was reduced to lactic acid, while acetoin was obtained from pyruvate when it was added during the later stage of the growing culture.
No relationship of acetaldehyde to acetoin formation was ascer-tained, and no evidence was obtained on ethanol formation from pyruvate.

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Fermentation of glucouse, gluconate, and xylose under statical and aerobical conditions was carried out by hetero- and homoferment-ers, and series of fermentation formulas were proposed.
No noticeable difference between homo- and hetero-fermenters was pointed out, except the mode of statical decomposition of glucose which is already known. This well known difference was considered to be due to different types of metabolism during the early stage; glycolysis of the hetero-fermeter would proceed via Warburg-Dickens' scheme instead of Embden-Meyerhof's route, and a scheme of fermentation of lactic acid bacteria was proposed.

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A certain species of bacteria secretes an enzyme which causes deactivation of several α-amylases. This enzyme seems to be an adaptive enzyme formed against these α-amylases. Enzymatical studies show that the enzyme is sensitive to heat, acid, and alkali; the optimum pH of its activity is at about 5.2; it requires phosphates as a cofactor in order to display its enzymatic action, and as the enzyme deactivates α-amylases, titratable acid is formed.

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Lysozyme was oxidized with sodium meta-periodate, and the following results were obtained from investigations of the process of oxidation and the changes of lytic activity and absorption spec-trum. The Iytic activity decreases during oxidation. Lysozyme oxidized under moderate conditions was obtained as crystals with 60% of the original activity. The decrea_??_e in lytic activity has a linear relationship to the lowering of the optical density at 280.5 mμu. This lowering being caused chiefly by the decomposition of tryptophan, it may be concluded that tryptophan residue seems to play an important role in lytic activity.

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1. It has been confirmed that Ogur and Rosen's method can be applied to the determination of nucleic acids of dried yeasts, moulds and bacteria.
2. It has been found that their method gives erroneous results when applied directly to fresh or durable yeasts.
3. Correct results have been obtained when fresh or durable, yeasts were subjected to freezing overnight with dry ice and ether.
4. In order to effect the complete extraction of nucleic acid, such pre- liminary treatments as autolysis, homogenizing with Pyrex glass pow- der, and alternate repetitions of dry ice -freezing and melting have been tried with no promising results.
5. Based on the experimental results, a most reliable procedure for the determination of nucleic acids of microorganisms has been described.
6. Analytical data of RNA and DNA in various microorganisms obtained by the present method has been pre- sented.

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Showing the microphotographs, writers report in this paper that “Black-Koji-amylase system” can casily digest raw starch granu-les, even that of potato, and by the use of this enzyme system the existence of the lamellation structure in the inner part of potato starch granules can be observed.

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The factors influencing the formation of adaptive enzymes, m-hydroxybenzoic acid oxidase and gentisase, in the secondary adaptation procedure by the non-proliferating cells of Pseudomonas ovalis var. S-5 were examined and the following results obtained.
1) The addition of m-hydroxyben-zoic acid to the culture media, at the time of initiation of incubation. and at three hours before the harvest of the cells, decreases the time required foradaptive enzyme formation in the se-condary adaptation, i.e., in the former case 1 to 2 hours and in the latter case o to 1 hour is enough for the completion of the induction of both enzymes.
2) The optimum length of time required for the completion of the induction of both enzymes under the standard conditions of the secondary adaptation procedure was approximate-ly three hours.
3) The optimum concentration of substrate, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, in the secondary adaptation procedure was M/100 for m-hydroxybenzoic acid oxidase and M/200 for gentisase.
4) No effect of the addition of glucose as the energy source upon the induction of gentisase and m-hydroxy-benzoic acid oxidase was recognized with the cells adapted for three hours in the shaking flask or with the cells grown in bouillon glucose medium. However, the effect was recognized with the cells adapted for one hour in shaking flasks or with the cells adapted in Warburg vessels.
The authors wish to express their sincerest thanks to Prof. K. Sakaguchi, for his guidance and encouragement throughout these research, and also wish to thanks Assist Prof. H. Taka hashi for his useful discussion.

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Based on the fundamental conditions determined in the former part of this report on the adaptive enzyme forma-tion of the nonproliferating intact cells in the secondary adaptation procedure, further investigations of the influence of the factors i.e. the age of the culture, method of supplying oxygen, and use of inhibitor against the induc-tion of the adaptive formation of m-hydroxy-benzoic acid oxidase and gentisase, were examined and the following results were obtained. 1. The growth courve of Pseudo monas ovalis S-5, on both bouillon and bouillon glucose medium in shaking culture were obtained.

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Dehulled and defatted soybean meal was treated with 0.2 sodium hydroxide to give a sugar-free protein-extraction residue, from which hot-water-soluble hemicellulose was precipitated by adding ethanol to the concentrated hot-water extract. The hemicellulose was purified through the copper complex formed by adding Fehling's solution and acetone. Its decomposition point was 194_??_5° and [a]_??_+97.5° and it consisted of pentoses (arabinose and xylose) 17.8% (as pentosan), uronic acid (galaeturonio acid) 19.2% (as lactone), and hexose (galactose) 41.9% (as galactan). The methods of analyses are described in detail.

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Cycasin, a new toxic glycoside, C₈H₁₆O₇N₂, has been isolated from the seeds of Japanese cycad, ion-exchange resins and active carbon chromatography being used. From the results of the ex-amination of the decomposition products such as nitrogen gas, formaldehyde, and cyanide etc. and of the ultraviolet and infrared absorption spectra, its aglycone is considered to be identical with that of macrozamin from Australian cycad, reported by Lythgoe et al. It is found, however, that the sugar component of cycasin is one molecule of glucose, unlike that of macrozamin namely primeverose. Cycasin is, therefore, concluded to be a new com-pound, glucosyloxyazoxymethane.

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In the study on the chemical structure o fgibberellins, the sub-merged culture method was applied to obtain a large amount of gibberellins. While isolating them from the medium, a crystal having m. p. 164-5° was obtained and identified to be 5-hydroxy-methyl-2-furan-carboxylic acid.

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Fungisporin was subjected to acid and alkali hydrolysis and converted to amino acids. These amino acids were iodemtified to be the two amino acids, L-phenylalanine and L-valine. From the results of the quantitative determination of each amino acid and infrared spectrum of the fungisporin, it was revealed that the fungisporin is a polypeptide composed of the same moles of L-phenylalnine and L-valine.

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