SOME NEW KEYS TO COSMETIC CHEMISTRYm1956 241 of •glutamic dehydrogenase protei,n. TM The SH group •of mus'cle protein was shown to be essential for the action of acetylchol!ne, and in addition to the N atom of the latt, er, the ester group also reacted with active groups. of the protein molecule. •ø Methylat&ion of lysozyme did not inactivate it, showing that the groups active in catalysis are not those active in the enzyme-substrate unionß Molecular geometry was studied in connection with the cholinesteraso surface, and it was found that in the.• betdine amino alcohols, those with hydroxyl trans to the 9arboxyl inhibited the ester, but similar cis com- pound s showed no inhibition. TM Evidence was cited that precise orientation of catalytic groups at the point of bond formation and cleavage is critical for enzyme activity, implying that there is no necessity for high molecular weight in the enzyme molecule. TM In a brief review of mode of action of oxidation enzymes, Theorell TM pointed out that so far we know the structure of only the most easily accessible one-sixth of the smallest enzyme molecule, cytochrome C. An antidote for nerve gas was developed as a by-product of basic research ß . on cholinesterase the antidote, 2-pynd•ne aldoxime, fits into a specific active spot on the cholinesteras• surface, prever/ting the nerve gas from becoming attached there through its phosphorous-containing •group. •" The enzymatic activity of grain seeds was increased, and the germination and growth processes were stimulated, by ultrasonic' treatment of the seeds. • STRUCTURE-ACTIVITY The edema producing potency, measured by increase in water content of a part of the conjunctiva of rabbits' 'eyes, increased with increasing molecular weight in the, normal alcohols methyl to amyl, and among the butyl alcohols the potency decreased in passing from primary to secondary to tertiary. TM A chemical model of drug action using diethylaminoethanol in a two-layer solvent system was selected because of its containing two active groups at the same distance, 5«A, as is typical of a striking number of drugs with a great variety of effects the tendencies of various • amino acids to be•orne'b0und to this model were measured. • The activities of 47 thyroxine analogues were correlated to the abilities of their side chains to' release electrons. TM A study of competitive photohalogenation of cyclo- hexane and toluene led to the conclusion that to account for the effect of structure on the selective rates of free radical reactions involving C-H bonds it is .necessary .to consider (1) bond dissociation energies, (2) the extent of bond breaking in the transition state, and (3) polar effects in both reacting m91ecules.• o A review of inclusion compounds suggested division of clathrates into three types: channel, like urea clathrates cage, like water molecules

242 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS and layer lattices, like montmorillonite. m The twisting or stretching of C-C double bonds due to steric hindrance increases the activity of tl•e bound atoms. TM Cold-working of long chain ethers and ketones increased their dielectric loss, probably by causing dislocations in the crystal lattice. "• Under extremely high pressures, 50,000 to 120,000 atmospheres, an electronic isomerisation is believed to occur, pushing electrons from higher orbitals into untilled higher-energy lower orbitals, and under still higher pressures the atoms are postulated to exist in a "universal metallic state. "•4 The complex formation of over 100 systems in various solvents was followed in order to characterise H-bonding behaviour of alcohols and ketones. •5 A new type of H-bond, reported to exist between the single hydrogen and three of the four carbonyls of cobalt carbonyl hydride, may throw new light on catalysis mechanisms. TM The new technique of nuclear magnetic resonance promises to yield information on fine details of molecular activity which should assist in clearing up many structure-activity problems. • a7 PERMEABILITY The factors governing the permeability of the skin and of cell membranes received considerable study. Hydration of the horny layer of the skin was found to inhibit sweating on palms and soles.•8 Injection of the antidiuretic horrnone pitressin reduced water loss both in normal and in hyperkeratotic skin. TM In a new method for determining water loss through skin, dry air was passed through a vessel affixed to the skin, and the moisture in the emerging air was determined gravimetrically. •4ø By this method, it was found that the water permeability of films ot fatty acids or of their trigly- cerides decreases significantly with increasing chain length. TM In isolated frog skin, sodium influx followed a pattern similar to a Langmuir adsorption isotherm and an equation was derived fitting the data, on the assumption that influx occurs chiefly by means of a sodium complex. TM A study of structural features influencing amino acid transfer into cells led to the conclusion that chelation and Shift base formation are involved in the transfer. TM The specific sites responsible for concentrating amino acids in the cell were regarded as catalytic ones in a membrane rather than stoichiometric ones inside the cell. TM A cycle of permeability changes was shown to follow the penetration of T 2 virus into E. coli cells. TM PROTEIN BINDING In the binding of small molecules to proteins, hydroxylation was found to play an important role in determining whether a protein-bound metal ion can interact further with a small molecule. TM In hemerythrin, an oxygen-carrying pigment devoid of porphyrin, the larger portion of the iron