235. Some reactions with heavy water

Growth of Germ Tubes of Erysiphe Spores in Deuterium Oxide

“…Information available in the literature indicates that the decreased growth of germ tubes in D20 is not to be ascribed entirely to its inability to enter living cells about as readily as H,O (Curry and Trelease, 1935;Lucke and Harvey, 1935) or to differences between D,0 and H20 in their action in osmotic and imbibitional systems (La Mer and Baker, 1934;Lucke and Harvey, 1935;Hughes, Yudkin, Kemp, and Rideal, 1934;Woodard and Chesley, 1935). Plantefol and Champetier (1935) reported a marked difference in the speed with which pollen grains of Narcissus papyracens burst in H20 and in 57 per cent D.0, and they concluded that 1120 was absorbed more rapidly than DI)0.…”

“…In general, according to theory, compounds containing the heavier isotope should be less reactive than those containingf the lighter form (Eyring and Sherman, 1933;Urey and Teal, 1935). In some cases the velocitv aT)pears to be approximately the same in the two liquids (Hughes, Yudkin, Kemp, and Rideal, 1934;Fox, 1935), but usually it differs to a greater or lesser extent (Anderson and Harvey, 1934;Gross, Suess, and Steiner, 1934;Hammill and La Mer, 1934;Schwartz, 1934;Wynne-Jones, 1934;Fox and Craig, 1935;Steacie, 1934Steacie, , 1935Maclit and Bryan, 1936). In some cases the velocitv aT)pears to be approximately the same in the two liquids (Hughes, Yudkin, Kemp, and Rideal, 1934;Fox, 1935), but usually it differs to a greater or lesser extent (Anderson and Harvey, 1934;Gross, Suess, and Steiner, 1934;Hammill and La Mer, 1934;Schwartz, 1934;Wynne-Jones, 1934;Fox and Craig, 1935;Steacie, 1934Steacie, , 1935Maclit and Bryan, 1936).…”

Studies on the enzymic oxidation of succinic acid containing deuterium in the methylene groups

“…The dramatic demonstration by Lewis (1933) of the failure of tobacco seeds to germinate in pure D20 was followed by a large volume of work which broadly suggested that low concentrations of D20 (up to about 10%) had no influence on biological systems (e.g. Dungem, 1936), while higher concentrations in general retarded to varying degrees a number of biological processes, for example, the respiration and alcoholic fermentation of yeast (Pacsu, 1934;Taylor & Harvey, 1934; Hughes, Yudkin, Kemp & Rideal, 1934) (Barbour, 1934). Further work was carried out in an attempt to determine whether any alteration of the deuterium/hydrogen ratio occurred in biological systems.…”