Many of the bands in the vapor-phase far-ultraviolet absorption spectra of simple molecules can often be fit to mathematical progressions referred to as molecular Rydberg series. The name Rydberg arises from the similarity between the Rydberg formula for the atomic hydrogen spectrum and the formulae for the progressions found in molecular spectra. The theories of molecular Rydberg transitions and states are discussed in terms of the inferences that have been made in the past from the available spectral data. The dipole moment changes (ca. 0.4 Debye units) from the ground state to all of the Rydberg states studied were found to be smaller than changes typically found in transitions of charge-transfer nature (ca. 1 Debye unit). The implication is that the Rydberg transitions are fairly localized. The changes in polarizability are on the order of 6 x 10⁻²⁴ cm³ and are assumed to be increases over those of the ground state.

Two distinct compartmentalized isozymes of aldolase and triosephosphate isomerase were examined in the photoautotrophically and heterotrophically grown green alga Euglena gracilis. A comparison of the chemical and physical properties of the isozymes was carried out. Isozymes of phosphoglucose isomerase were isolated in homogeneous form from liver and muscle tissue of the fresh water catfish. The two organ-specific isozymes were essentially identical with respect to their molecular weights but exhibited different electrophoretic and kinetic properties, and amino acid compositions.

A paucity of literature exists on the Independent System analysis of adjacent, parallel transition dipoles. Applying this theory and certain spectral information semiemperical calculations were made to predict absorption profiles and band intensities. To aid in the assignment of the 7*+7 absorption bands it was necessary to obtain the vacuum ultraviolet spectra of cyclohexane and cyclohexene. Because the spectra of these molecules contained sharp, atomic-like absorption bands a Rydberg series could be fitted to certain absorptions, thus the determination of their ionization potentials. Using Independent System analysis profiles and intensities of 7*+q-- absorption bands ins 'several methyl substituted 1,4- cyclohexadienes and isotetralin were predicted where general agreement was found with observed experimental spectra.

The biological activities of some homeosterically related analogs of dihydrofolic acid have been examined involving pyrimido[4,5-b][l,4]oxazine (8-oxapteridine) derivatives. It is anticipated that these compounds might interfere with the essential intermediary metabolic functions of the vitamin and thus serve as potential chemotherapeutic agents. Preliminary toxicity studies in microbial assay systems were disappointing; however, inhibitory effects were demonstrated in cell free enzyme systems. A comparison of the structure/activity relationships was determined using two folic acid coenzyme systems, dihydrofolate reductase and thymidylate synthetase. The 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-(substituted)-8-oxapteridines were generally more effective inhibitors than the corresponding 2,4-diamino analogs. The relative biological activity of a series of 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-ω-phenylalkyl derivatives were examined, and the most active derivative was the 6-phenylethyl analog which appears to function as a mixed-type inhibitor involving partially competitive and partially non-competitive inhibition.

The distribution of isozymes of triosephosphate isomerase was normal in all human tissues examined. This finding argues against the existence of tissue-specific isozymes. Normal distributions of isozymes were also found in patients with cri-du-chat syndrome. Thus it is unlikely that a gene for triosephosphate isomerase is located on the short arm of chromosome five in man. When triosephosphate isomerases from a wide range of species were examined by starch gel electrophoresis, definite evolutionary patterns were found. Kinetic studies were conducted on human triosephosphate isomerase under conditions simulating the intracellular environment of the erythrocyte. Calculations using the kinetic parameters obtained indicate that even in triosephosphate isomerase deficiency disease, enough enzyme activity remains that the rate of glycolysis should not become inhibited.

This study is concerned with the metabolism of L-asparagine in Lactobacillus plantarum (ATCC 8014). Theprimary area of investigation is the preliminary characterization of a previously unreported L-asparaginase enzyme in L. plantarum. This L-asparaginase was determined to be an inducible enzyme with variations in its activity level according to the L-asparagine level in the growth medium. L-Glutaminase could not be induced in this organism by L-glutamine, nor would L-glutamine induce the asparaginase activity. These and other studies with amino acid analogs demonstrated the high specificity of both induction and enzymic activity of the asparaginase. Various physical properties of the enzyme were studied. The enzyme was found to be inhibited by adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This inhibition appears to be cooperative in nature and of the type exhibited by allosteric enzymes. These studies should be confirmed on a highly purified enzyme as these preliminary experiments were performed using a crude cell-free extract.

The study consists of three major areas of research. First, the dihedral angle dependence of vicinal carbon-carbon coupling constants is determined for aliphatic and alicyclic carboxylic acids wherein the formal hybridization and substituents are held constant. Second, the magnitudes and relative signs of long-range carbon-carbon coupling constants in a. triple- 13 C-labeled system are determined and compared with carbon-proton and/or proton-proton coupling constants in geometrically similar compounds. Third, the effect of changes in hybridization on long-range carbon-carbon coupling constants is determined for the following three groups of molecules: olefins and saturated hydrocarbons, aliphatic carboxylic acids, and aromatic compounds. In all cases only closely related systems are compared in order to identify the effect of individual molecular parameters. Most importantly, the results indicate that carbon-carbon couplings do correlate in magnitude and sign with carbon-proton and proton-proton couplings in analogous molecular. frameworks. Thus, the coupling mechanisms are similar in all three types of coupling. In addition, the observed trends in long-range carbon-carbon couplings provide an unambiguous method for assigning carbon chemical shifts.

The investigation presented here is in two parts: a mechanistic study of the triethylamine dehydrohalogenation of ac-haloacid halides to form halogenated ketenes and a study of steric influence upon ketene lifetimes. The first part of this research deals with the mechanism of the dehydrohalogenation reaction. Two acid halides, isobutyryl chloride and a-chloropropionyl chloride, appeared to represent two mechanistic extremes for this reaction with triethylamine. Isobutyryl chloride reacted with triethylamine to form an acylammonium salt while a-chloropropionyl chloride produced the enolate salt. These salts were detected in chloroform solution by both nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and infrared spectra. The results of the investigation into the mechanism of dehydrohalogenation and ketene lifetime were complemented by CNDO/2 calculations of the acid halides and ketenes studied. It was concluded that the mechanism of dehydrohalogenation of acid halides involves a complex series of equilibria,and it has become increasingly apparent that halogenated ketenes are produced through the acylammonium salt. The enolate salt appears to be a dead end in the reaction to form ketenes. It was also demonstrated that increasing steric bulk has a stabilizing effect on ketene lifetimes.

The structures of the new pyrethroids were elucidated utilizing nuclear magnetic spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The biological activity of the pyrethroids has been evaluated for houseflies and yellow fever mosquitoes. A correlation of increase in rapid knockdown and toxicity with decrease in size of halogen has been made. The most effective compound, the difluorovinyl ester, has a toxicity of 123 times greater than pyrethrins. This degree of toxicity has not previously been reported for a 5-benzyl-3-furanmethyl ester. The relative lipophilicities of the dihalovinyl esters, Rm, have been determined by reverse phase partition chromatography. The R values for the dihalo esters correlate with their m effectiveness as rapid knockdown agents. The least lipophilic compound, the difluorovinyl ester, possessed the highest knockdown in this dihalovinyl ester series. The difluorovinyl ester has incorporated a high level of toxicity while maintaining excellent effectiveness as a knockdown agent against houseflies. This combination of high knockdown and high toxicity in a single compound has not been previously reported. Several other pyrethroids were synthesized and evaluated for knockdown and toxicity, in order to make specific comparisons with pyrethroids of known effectiveness. The replacement of the isobutenyl group of the chrysanthemates by the dihalovinyl group has been effective …