The effect of biotin on glucose catabolism in a L-glutamic acid-producing bacterium, Brevibacterium ammoniagenes, was studied by a modified radiorespirometric method. The amount of glucose metabolized by way of the hexose-monophosphate shunt (HMP) was estimated to be 26% in biotin-deficient cells and 38% in biotin-sufficient cells, respectively. In both cases, the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas Pathway (EMP) was found to be the major route for glucose catabolism. These results will exclude the present theory at least in our strain that the main route of glucose catabolism is HMP in biotin-deficient cells and EMP in biotin-sufficient ones, and that this is one of the main effect of biotin on L-glutamic acid fermentation.

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Metabolism of gallic acid in the rabbit has been studied. Orally administered gallic acid was excreted mostly unchanged and partially as pyrogallol and 4-methoxy-3, 5-dihydroxybenzoic acid in the urine. Conjugates could hardly be found. Moreover, evidently by administration of gallic acid three phenolic acids in the urinary excretion were diminished compared with that of fed on the control diet. Effect of tea catechin was also studied.

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The Mannich reaction of kojic acid in both acidic and basic media was studied. Mono-Mannich derivatives (substitution at position 6) were obtained; the reactivity in basic medium was found to be somewhat greater than in acidic medium. Reduction of the Mannich derivatives with zinc dust and acetic acid gave a 6-methyl kojic acid (6-methyl-5-hydrox y-2-hydrox ymethyl-γ-pyrone).
Mono-Mannich base of pyromeconic acid was also prepared in a manner similar to that of kojic acid. From this Mannich base, maltol (2-methyl-3-hydroxy-r-pyrone) was obtained by the reduction with zinc dust and acetic acid.

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An extensive study has been made on the oxidation of the hydroxymethyl group of kojic adid. Benzyl or methyl ether of kojic acid was easily oxidized to the corresponding comenic acid ether by the action of microorganism; the comenic acid ethers were obtained nearly quantitatively from the replacement culture in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.2). In addition, hydrogenolysis of the comenic acid ether has been studied. The use of pal-ladium catalyst such as colloidal-Pd or Pd-BaSO₄ gave a comenic acid in good yield.

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The recent findings^1_??_3) that prenylmercaptan (3-methyl-2-butene-l-thiol) is the major component of the sunlight flavor of beer has led us to investigate the pathway of its evolu-tion. S-Prenyl-L-cysteine, S-(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-L-cysteine, was synthesized according to the general outline of A. Stoll et al.4) from L-cyteine and prenylbromide, since it was considered as one of the precursors of the sunlight flavor of beer. S-Prenyl-L-cysteine was a colorless and odorless crystal, but this compound generated prenylmercaptan when the aqueous solution was exposed to sunlight. The addition of a small amount of riboflavin to the solution as a photosensitizer increased the mercaptan evolution. Prenylmercaptan formed by sun-light was isolated as its 2, 4-dinitrophenyl derivative and identified by the comparison of melting point, chromatographic behavior and infrared spectrum with an authentic sample and by its elemental analysis.

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With the aid of compounds labeled with sulfur-35, the precursors of sunlight-flavor mercaptan were compared. Sodium sulfide was more active than cysteine in serving as the sulfur source of mercaptan. The effectiveness of humulones, acetolupuphenone as well as Carson's isohumulones, and in weaker extent, lupulones as the precursor of carbon moiety of the mercaptan was shown.

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Changes in lipid classes and water-soluble components in maturing seed of Chinese tallow tree were examined. Rapid oil production occurred at three stages of seed maturity. Stillingia oil syntheses in seed kern proceeded more rapidly than stillingia tallow on the kern at early stage. Analytical data for components in immature seed suggest that the pathway of seed oil synthesis is the same as Kennedy's pathway. However, the appear-ance of monoglycerides indicates the existence of a side pathway. From specific positional distribution of fatty acids in mono-, di-, and triglyceride from immature seed, synthetic process of glyceride structure was discussed.

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The amine oxidase was found to be formed in mycelia of fungi when they were grown on monoamines or diamines as sole nitrogen sources. The maximal formation of enzyme was observed in the initial stage of growth, then the enzyme disappeared semilogarithmically. Other sources of nitrogen, such as ammonia, nitrate, urea and amino acids, were fully inactive for the enzyme formation. Furthermore, ammonia repressed the enzyme formation by fungi. The amine oxidase of fungi resembled in substrate specificity the monoamine oxidase of animal tissues. The enzyme oxidized preferentially aliphatic monoamines of C₃-C₆. Agmatine and histamine were also oxidized but in lower rates. Benzylamine was well oxidized by the enzymes of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium chrysogenum, but not by the enzymes of Monascus anka and Fusarium bulbigenum. Polyamines were not oxidized by the fungal enzymes.

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(1) Bacteria capable of assimilating FA as a source of carbon have been isolated from soil obtained at the factory producing FA. The assimilation of FA was fairly stable and very strong in this organism. It appeared to belong to a member of Pseudomonas species.
(2) The enzyme that catalyzes defluorina-tion of FA to form glycolic acid and fluoride ions was induced, when bacteria were grown in a defined salt medium containing FA as a sole source of carbon. Glycolic acid was identified as a salt of S-benzylthiuronium after being isolated by a chromatography in silica colum.
(3) The liberation of fluoride ions from monofluoroacetamide and monofluoropropiona-te was very small compared with the libera-tion from FA. Monochloro-, monobromo-, and monoiodoacetate were not dehalogenated by the enzyme.

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The clarification of apple juice has been studied using six pectolytic enzymes produced by Coniothyrium diplodiella, endo-PG (polygalacturonase) I, II and III, exo-PG and PE (pectinesterase) I and II. Each of these six enzymes had no effect on the clarification of apple juice when acted alone, whereas mixtures of any one of endo-PGs and PEs were all able to clarify the juice. Mixtures of exo-PG and either of PEs has no effect on the clarification. Clarifying activities of PG-PE mixtures were varied with the kind of endo-PG used in each mixture and not with the kind of PE. Clarifying activity of PG-PE mixture depended on either endo-PG or PE activities when the other was kept constant.
Crude enzyme from the mold and a mixture of the four PGs and PE in the ratio of the crude enzyme had essentially identical effect on apple juice as well as on artificial pectin and pectic acid.

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Suspended particles in apple juice were successfully precipitated by ultracentrifugation. The particles were found to have a small amount of insoluble pectin as their component. Most of the pectin in apple juice was soluble type and remained in the supernatant. Both soluble and insoluble pectin contents of apple juice strongly affected the enzymatic clarifi-cation.
Purified endo-PGs of Coniothyrium diplodiella could decrease the viscosity of a solution of commercial citrus pectin (esterification degree 64%). However, they could not decrease the viscosity of native soluble pectin in apple juice, since carboxyl groups of the soluble pectin in apple juice were highly esterified (esterification degree ca. 90%).

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Soybean casein fraction was factionated by gel filtration with Sephadex G100. From the effluent diagram of soybean casein fraction, several minor components were obtained with a main component.
One of them showed a single pattern by ultracentrifugal analysis, but it was found to be contaminated with RNA by column chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. From the result of purification by the repeated rechromatography, the purified component contained about 7% of RNA per protein. Therefore, it was considered to be a ribonucleoprotein.
Among other minor components, free ribonucleic acids, which seemed to have different molecular weights were also present, but their ratios of purine to pyrimidine and base compositions coincided well each other.

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Various 3-halo-6-phenoxypyridazines, with or without nitro groups on their benzene rings, and 3-anilino-6-phenoxypyridazines were prepared together with some related com-pounds to be evaluated as herbicides. Ultraviolet spectra of some nitrophenoxypyridazines thus obtained were also examined.

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Pre-emergent herbicidal activities of various 3-halo-6-phenoxypyridazines, with or without nitro groups on their benzene rings, and 3-anilino-6-phenoxypyridazines were examined along with those of related compounds. Among them, 3-bromo-6-(2' -phenylphenoxy)-, 3-chloro-6-(3'-nitrophenoxy)- and 3-chloro-6-anilino-pyridazines showed rather high herbicidal effects to radish and millet. On the other hand, some pyridazine derivatives especially 3-anilino-6-benzyloxy- and 3-(3'-chloroanilino)-6-phenoxy-pyridazines promoted shoot growth of millet.

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