Abstract
THE deamination of glycine by X-radiation1 is dependent on the concentration of the glycine solution in a way that is different from the more common relationship of yield/concentration found for solutions of many inorganic solutes2 and viruses3, and, for example, carboxypeptidase4. The inactivation of this enzyme by X-radiation is independent of the concentration over a wide range, except in extremely dilute solutions (less than 3 × 10−6 M). The yield of ammonia, however, from glycine and other amino-acids shows a continuous rise up to nearly saturated solutions, that is, an approximately 20 per cent solution in the case of glycine. The liberation of sulphur from thiourea5 follows a similar course. The yield/concentration relationship is not confined to substances of low molecular weight, for McDonald has recently found6 that trypsin, which has apparently the same molecular weight as carboxypeptidase, also shows a similar rise up to a 1 per cent solution (the highest concentration which could be used for technical reasons).
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McDonald, M. R., Ann. Rep. Depart. Genetics, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. (1949–50).
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DALE, W., DAVIES, J. Deamination of Aqueous Solutions of L-Serine by X-Radiation. Nature 166, 1121 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/1661121a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1661121a0
