A preliminary note on the nitrogen metabolism of seaweeds. Glutamic acid peptide

Abstract

Certain brown algae, after appropriate treatment, give a marked biuret reaction, the intensity of which diminishes with the depth of immersion at which the plants grow. The material responsible for this reaction, isolated from Pelvetia canaliculata, proved to be an octapeptide of glutamic acid. No similar product has been isolated from the red or green algae. Thia suggests that the brown seaweeds exhibit certain peculiarities in their N metabolism which distinguish them from the greens or reds.