DISTRIBUTION OF D-ASPARTATE OXIDASE AND FREE D-GLUTAMATE AND D-ASPARTATE IN CHICKEN AND PIGEON TISSUES

1. The presence of D-aspartate oxidase activity and D-glutamate was de monstrated for the first time in several tissues of chicken and pigeon . 2. The identification of the enzyme was based on substrate and inhib itor specificity of the activity as well as other requirements for the activity, and the amino acid was identified with HPLC analysis. 3. In each animal, the highest activity was found in the kidney. In chicken , the hepatic, renal and pancreatic activities were significantly high er in male than female. In pigeon, however, any significant gender dif ference was not observed. 4. A substantial amount of D-glutamate, as w ell as D-aspartate, was detected in each tissue, irrespective of speci es. 5. The contents of the free D-enantiomers were significantly diffe rent between two genders in the chicken kidney, heart and pancreas and pigeon liver and kidney. However, any common relationship was not obs erved between the contents and the D-aspartate oxidase activity.