Folic acid derivatives in the gas gland of Physalia physalis L.

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Abstract
A general procedure is presented for the determination of the several forms of folates present in tissue. Portions of acetone-dried tissue are extracted at several temperatures, the extracts are fractionated on diethylaminoethylcellulose columns, and the fractions obtained are examined for their ability to support growth of two microorganisms. The nature of the folates originally present is deduced from the collected observations. The folates occurring in the gas glands of the Portuguese man-of-war. Physalia physalis, are shown to be primarily N10-formyl derivatives of tetrahydrofolic acid and of tetrahydropteroyltriglutamic acid, and of an as yet uncharacterized polyglutamyl derivative of folic acid. It appears probable that the N1O-formly derivatives are carriers of the C1 units which are ultimately secreted as carbon monoxide by the gas gland.