Finlayson⁽⁷⁾ showed that the catalase activity was associated with the resting cells of mycobacteria, and that the enzymatic activity varied widely from species to species.
The experiments recorded in this paper have shown that the strains of M. ulcerans and M. muris develop the catalase activity more highly than in the case of M. tuberculosis, such as strains of H37Rv and BCG, and A-71 strain of M. avium, but less than the strain of M. phlei.
Those findings obtained from the cells grown on the solid medium and in the liquid medium were essentially similar.
As stated above, the catalase activity seems to indicate an existence of certain difference in metabolism between M. ulcerans and the other mycobacteria tested.

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A new antiviral antibiotic myxoviromycin, produced by Streptomyces sp., No.E-212, is preliminarily reported. The antibiotic was yielded in a medium consisting of soy bean meal, starch and several inorganic salts. It was purified by an approximately similar procedure as that of streptothricin and obtained in the hydrochloride or the crystalline reineckate. Biological characteristics of myxoviromycin hydrochloride were very unique in the respect that, although the antibiotic was hardly active against many bacteria, fungi and yeast at the concentration of 800 μg/cc or above, it was highly effective in inhibiting the growth of influenza virus in vitro.

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Four antiviral filtrates were found in the course of screening antiviral antibiotics from streptomyces. Studies were made on the purification procedures of the active agents and on the general properties. All of the active agents belonged to the organic solvent type and showed the same pattern on both summarized and electrophoretic papergrams. However, further studies revealed that they were different from each other. Antibacterial activities of these four substances were chiefly limited to some gram positive bacteria. Toxicity for mice was fairly high except E300. Two antibiotics obtained in crystalline form, F43 and E416, seemed to be new antibiotics.
The authors wish to express their sincere thanks to Prof. M. Kuroya for his kind guidance.

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A slime-like layer envelops both the protoplasmic spiral and central fila-ment of leptospira. By washing repeatedly, the covering layer is gradually removed and the filament comes clearly into view. This layer is easily fixable with osmic acid and, when fixed, it looks like a bacterial cell wall.
In specimens treated with immune serum, the central filament is preserved in comparatively good state and many detached filaments are observable; the protoplasmic spiral being strongly damaged.

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M. tuberculosis var. hominis, E. coli, S. typhi, P. tularensis, N. gonorrhoeae and Candida albicans were found to synthesize methionine from homocysteine and choline. M. tuberculosis var. hominis, E. coli, S. typhi and Candida albicans of formed glycocyamine from arginine and glycine, from which, by the further addition of methionine, creatine was produced. For the formation from pure glycocyamine and methionine, the coexistence of V. B₁₂, was necessary. The synthesis of creatine by M. tuberculosis var. hominis was completely inhibited by 5×10^-2M of INH, while SM, PAS, TB, CM, CTC, OTC and EM showed no inhibitory effect. With the other organisms tested, INH showed no inhibitory effect on the synthetic activity mentioned above. This inhibition caused by INH on M. tuberculosis var. hominis was antagonized by ATP, folic acid and V. B₆. M. tuberculosis var. hominis produced sarcosine and urea from ereatine. This ability was not influenced by INH or other antibiotics tested.
Both P. tularensis and N. gonorrhoeae did not produced creatine from glyco-cyamine, arginine, glycine, or methionine.

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The mutation rates per bacterium per generation to streptomycin-indifference were determined with the wild and a partially resistant mutant strain of Salmonella enteritidis strain No. 11. No signiflcant difference was found between these two values. An assumption proposed by the authors that streptomycin-resistance in a narrow sense and streptomycin-indifference are mutations independent of each other was further conflrmed by these studies.
The reason for the contradiction to the similar experiments of Newcombe is discussed.

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1. A synthetic medium (No. 18) containing glutamic acid, histidine, cystine, arginine, phenylalanine and serine was found to be more effective than Sanders' medium (1953) for the growth of B. melitensis, B. suis and B. abortus.
2. Cystine in this medium could be replaced by S^-- or S₂O₃^-- but not by methione. But when arginine in this medium was replaced by ornithine, the necessity of cystine decreased.
3. Change in the necessity of each amino acid in the No. 18 medium was not produced by the addition of B₆ complex.

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Sacch. cerevisiae and C. robusta were studied by antigenic analyses. The antigenic structures of both species were proved to be identical in spite of the distinct differences in ascospore formation.
The authors proposed that the classification of yeast-like fungi be based on their antigens along with biological characteristics as in the genus Salmonella.

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Sodium nitroprusside was demonstrated to inhibit specifically the development of resistance of E. coli to streptomycin by a mechanism other than the suppressive effect on the growth of resistant mutants. The results obtained ledthe authors to assume that sodium nitroprusside interfers with some metabolic functions of the cells. This interference, thereby, inhibits the conversion from sensitive to resistant cells in the presence of streptomycin.

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There are three antigens in H. pertussis, i. e. capsular themolabile L, relatively stable S, and somatic stable O antigen. H. pertussis can be classified serologically into three phases with the aid of factor serum. There are various phases in freshly isolated strains. Phase I organisms show a trend to change to intermediates and phase III. Phase I organisms have a high protective potency in mice and that of phase III is low. The efficacy of H. pertussisvaccines depends on the presence of the capsular antigen, especially of the L antigen. The amount of capsular K antigen of phase I organisms diminishes under various unsuitable cultural conditions.

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While screening various substances for their antitumor activity, we experienced a very poor take of the Ehrlich ascites tumor in a group of mice which had respiratory infection. This experience interested us with regard to the possible role of a latent virus in affecting the take of the transplanted Ehrlich tumor. Subsequent attempts were made to isolate the virus from the mouse lung which was found to possess a high oncolytic activity against the Ehrlich ascites tumor. The oncolysis by this virus brought forth some points which will be reported here.
1. A strain of hemagglutination virus (ED) which was isolated from the mouse lung showed definite oncolysis of Ehrlich ascites tumor cells, when injected intraperitoneally.
2. Some quantitative aspects of the phenomenon were studied.
3. Though the ED virus invades the tumor cells, it does not multiply. It has an affinity for the lung but again there is no evidence of multiplication in the lung unless it is administered intranasally.
4. The ED virus also suppressed the growth of solid type of Ehrlich carcinoma to about half of the weight found in the control group.
5. Anticancer activity of the ED virus was manifested in case of sarcoma 180, but was not recognized in cases of Yoshida sarcoma, ascites hepatoma No. 130 and No. 602 under the experimental conditions mentioned above.

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