Abstract
WE regret to record the death, on July 26, of Alexander Ellinger, professor of pharmacology in the University of Frankfort. Before the foundation of the latter university Ellinger held a similar chair at Konigsberg. He was best known for his chemical work. Thus he showed that ornithine and lysine are decar-boxylated by bacteria to putrescine and cadaverine respectively. He supplied the final touches to the determination of the constitution of tryptophane, and synthesised this amino-acid. Its transformation to kynurenic acid by the animal organism occupied much of his attention, and a few years ago he was able to elucidate the mechanism of this peculiar change, which apparently takes place via the keto-acid corresponding to tryptophane.
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[Obituaries]. Nature 112, 551 (1923). https://doi.org/10.1038/112551c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/112551c0