SYNERGISM EXERTED BY 4-TERT-BUTYLCATECHOL AND TERT-BUTYLCATECHOL QUINONE ON THE RATE OF DL-DOPA OXIDATION BY MUSHROOM TYROSINASE1

4-tert-butylcatechol (t-BC), at concentrations ranging from 0.033 to 16.6 mM, has a pronounced synergistic effect on the rate of DL-DOPA oxidation to material absorbing at 475 nm (dopachrome) by mushroom tyrosinase. This phenomenon was found to be due to the ability of t-BC-quinone (formed by the oxidation of t-BC by mushroom tyrosinase or by sodium periodate) to oxidize DL-DOPA nonenzymatically.