Analogues of diaminopimelic acid as inhibitors of bacterial growth.

acetoacetate level is markedly raised it does not contribute to any increase in the third spot. The absence of any detectable acetoacetate spot is probably due to decarboxylation, both during the extraction process and during the run on the paper, and it was noticed that an acetone 2:4-dinitrophenylhydrazone spot was regularly seen on the chromatograms from the alloxan-treated animals. In view of these findings, together with the resemblance between the absorption curve of the substance giving the third spot in blood filtrates with that of the second pyruvate spot (Cavallini & Frontali, 1954), which finding we have also confirmed, we conclude that this third blood component does not result from acetoacetic acid but corresponds to the more rapidly moving pyruvate component. It would seem therefore that a safe estimate of the pyruvate content of blood can be obtained by summing the two more rapidly moving spots, even when high levels of acetoacetate are present.