STUDIES ON ENZYME ACTION. XLVI. THE ESTER-HYDROLYZlNG ACTIONS OF WHOLE TROUT PREPARATIONS UNDER VARIOUS CONDITIONS. BY HELEN MILLER NOYES, I. LORBERBLATT, AND K. GEORGE FALK

The ester-hydrolyzing actions of whole trout and trout egg preparations under the conditions of the general investigation in progress in this laboratory offer a comparatively new field of study so that it seemed of interest to determine some of the simpler questions connected with these enzyme actions. In an earlier paper 1 the actions at different temperatures were studied because it was considered possible that the low temperature at which the fish lived might influence the actions of enzymes under different temperature conditions. I t was found, however, that the general behavior was no different from that of castor beans, for example, for which the conditions of growth required a comparatively high temperature. In general terms, two main opposing actions were involved in studying the enzyme actions at different temperatures; increase in enzyme action due to rise in temperature, and inactivation of enzyme by heat in the course of the experimental tests. These two factors did not produce the same effects with the actions on the different esters, so that, depending upon the length of time of the action, greater hydrolysis was found at lower temperatures with some of the esters. In the preceding paper, ~ the ester-hydrolyzing actions of extracts and whole solids of trout eggs and whole trout at different ages were