Pyruvate oxidation in brain

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Abstract
The system of C4 dicarboxylic acids of Szent-Gyorgyi et al. is catalytically concerned in the oxidation of pyruvate in brain. With brain slices and brei (avitaminous pigeon) cocarboxylase is less active in the catatorulin test than free vit. B1. With 2 types of finely ground preps. of avitaminous brain, cocarboxylase is much more active than free vit. B1, one of the preps. reacts to cocarboxylase and not at all to vit. B1. Vit. B1 monophosphate is not more active here than is vit. B1 itself. Brain prepns. (including brei) which respond to vit. B1 synthesize cocarboxylase in amts. which account for the changes in O2 uptake found. A maximum response is produced with a conc. of 1.5 X 10-7 M cocarboxylase; each mol. cocarboxylase catalyses optimally the uptake of 1500 mol. O2 per min. The hypothesis of Lohmann & Schuster that the active form of vit. B1 in animal tissues is the pyrophosphate is considered proved.