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Ecdysteroids affect in vivo protein metabolism of the flight muscle of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta)Ecdysteroid growth promotion of the dorsolongitudinal flight muscle of Manduca sexta was studied by measuring in vivo protein metabolism using both "flooding-dose" and "non-carrier" techniques. These procedures differ in that the former method includes injection of non-labelled phenylalanine (30 micromoles/insect) together with the [3H]amino acid. Injected radioactivity plateaued in the haemolymph within 7 min. With the flooding-dose method, haemolymph and intramuscular specific radioactivities were similar between 15 min and 2 h. Incorporation of [3H]phenylalanine into muscle protein was linear with either method between 30 and 120 min. Fractional rates (%/12 h) of synthesis with the flooding-dose technique were best measured after 1 h because of the initial delay in radioactivity equilibration. Estimation of body phenylalanine turnover with the non-carrier method showed 24-53%/h which was negligible with the flooding-dose method. Since the two methods yielded similar rates of protein synthesis, the large injection of non-labelled amino acid did not alter the rate of synthesis. Because the flooding-dose technique requires only a single time point measurement, it is the preferred method. The decline and eventual cessation of flight-muscle growth was mostly a consequence of declining protein synthesis though degradation increased between 76-86 h before eclosion and was relatively rapid. This decline in muscle growth could be prevented by treating pupae with 20-hydroxyecdysone (10 micrograms/insect). Protein accretion was promoted by a decline of up to 80% in protein breakdown, which was offset in part by a concurrent though much smaller decrease in protein synthesis. Therefore, ecdysteroids may increase flight-muscle growth by inhibiting proteolysis.
Document ID
20040090191
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Tischler, M. E.
(University of Arizona Tucson 85724, United States)
Wu, M.
Cook, P.
Hodsden, S.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of insect physiology
Volume: 36
Issue: 10
ISSN: 0022-1910
Subject Category
Life Sciences (General)
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: DCB-87-12458
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
NASA Discipline Developmental Biology
NASA Discipline Number 00-00
NASA Program Flight
Non-NASA Center

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