Tryptophan Oxidation by Yellow Mouse Skin

Abstract

Summary

1. Skin powders from 10-day-old mice with a dominant gene for yellow hair (A^y/a) oxidize l-tryptophan, dl-5-hydroxytryptophan, and 5-hydroxytryptamine, but not d-tryptophan. Yellow solutions are formed. 2. l-kynurenine does not appear to be an intermediate, since it is not oxidized, nor does it disappear at an appreciable rate when incubated with skin powders from these mice. It does not appear when tryptophan is incubated with skin powders. 3. When tryptophan is oxidized by these skin powders, a substance appears which gives a reaction with nitrosonaphthol in the absence of strong nitric acid. The chromophore is distinctive, and differs from that formed by 5-hydroxyindoles.