Studies on the induction and biosynthesis of vitellogenin, an oestrogen-induced glycolipophosphoprotein

1. Oestrogen treatment induces the formation of a Ca(2+)-binding glycolipophosphoprotein, vitellogenin, in Xenopus laevis. 2. The incorporation of l-[4,5-(3)H]-leucine into vitellogenin in vivo and in vitro was observed 12-24h after hormone treatment and increased progressively up to 21 days after treatment. 3. Vitellogenin is shown to be the major protein component biosynthesized and released into the incubation medium in vitro by livers from oestrogen-treated animals. 4. The biosynthesis in vitro of vitellogenin was inhibited by cycloheximide and carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, stimulated by increased Ca(2+) concentrations and decreased by raising the incubation temperature from 22 to 37 degrees C. 5. Incorporation of labelled amino acids into vitellogenin began after approx. 2h. No lag phase was noted for the incorporation of labelled amino acids into total tissue proteins. 6. The incorporation of label from [(32)P]phosphate and [2-(14)C]acetate into the protein as well as into the lipid moiety of vitellogenin showed a lag phase similar to that noted for the incorporation of amino acids. 7. These results suggest that the release of vitellogenin into the incubation medium occurs about 2h after the initiation of its biosynthesis.     

Effect of cycloheximide on protein and ribonucleic acid synthesis in cultured human lymphocytes

1. Phytohaemagglutinin stimulates the transformation into blast cells of human lymphocytes incubated in vitro. This transformation is accompanied by an increase in the incorporation of [(14)C]leucine into protein and [(3)H]uridine into RNA. 2. The incorporation of [(14)C]leucine by cultures grown in the presence or absence of phytohaemagglutinin is inhibited to the same extent by cycloheximide, a known inhibitor of protein synthesis. 3. Lymphocytes grown without phytohaemagglutin synthesize mainly non-ribosomal RNA. [(3)H]Uridine incorporation by these cells was increased by cycloheximide. 4. Lymphocytes incubated with phytohaemagglutinin begin to synthesize substantial quantities of ribosomal RNA. Under these conditions [(3)H]uridine incorporation was partially inhibited by cycloheximide. This inhibition is shown to be largely a result of inhibition of the synthesis of ribosomal RNA.     

The effect of cycloheximide on the glycosylation of lactating-rabbit mammary glycoproteins.

1. Cycloheximide inhibited immediately the incorporation of L-[4,5-3H]leucine and D-]2-3H]mannose into mammary proteins, suggesting that the mannosylation of mammary glycoproteins requires the continued supply of newly synthesized polypeptides. 2. The incorporation of radioactivity from N-acetyl-D-[1-14C] glucosamine into protein was not inhibited until approx. 30 min after cycloheximide addition. Much (greater than 90%) of this radioactivity was present as N-acetylgalactosamine. 3. N-Glycosylation appears to be inhibited immediately by cycloheximide due to a lack of newly synthesized acceptor polypeptides, whereas O-glycosylation continues for 30 min, the time taken for acceptor peptides to move from their site of synthesis to the Golgi region and for completion of glycosylation. 4. There was a transient increase in the incorporation of mannose into lipid-linked oligosaccharide in the presence of cycloheximide, followed by a decrease in the radioactivity in this fraction. 5. The major lipid-linked oligosaccharide extracted from explants incubated for 2h in the presence of cycloheximide (6-7 monosaccharide units) was smaller than that extracted from control explants (10-12 monosaccharide units).     

Experimental alcoholism in rats. Effect of acute ethanol intoxication on the in vitro incorporation of ( 3 H)leucine into neuronal and glial proteins

Abstract— Ethanol administered in vivo or in vitro during incubation of brain slices was studied with respect to its effect on brain protein synthesis. In the in vivo series the rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of ethanol 3 h before death. Slices of cerebral cortex and liver were incubated in isotonic saline media containing [³H]leucine. Amounts of free and protein-bound radioactivity were determined. Subcellular fractions and fractions enriched in neuronal perikarya and in glial cells were prepared from cortical slices subsequent to incubation, and the specific radioactivity determined for each cell type. The incorporation of [³H]leucine into brain proteins was inhibited while incorporation into liver proteins was stimulated in ethanol-treated rats. The levels of TCA-soluble radio-activity, however, did not differ between the ethanol group and the controls. In the fractionated material from cerebral cortex, the specific radioactivity in the neuronal fraction was unaffected by ethanol, while the radioactivity in the glial fraction was significantly depressed. In vitro administration of ethanol induced a non-linear response in both brain and liver, with depression of leucine incorporation into proteins of cerebral cortex at all concentrations used. When brain slices were exposed to ethanol in vitro, in concentrations corresponding to the in vivo experiments, a similar reduction of the leucine incorporation into the glial fraction was obtained. Incorporation of leucine into subcellular fractions from whole brain cortex was also investigated. The specific sensitivity of the glial fraction to ethanol is discussed in relation to the involvement of the different cell types with transport processes in the brain.     

Effect of a single dose of dimethylnitrosamine on biosynthesis of nucleic acid and protein in rat liver and kidney

1. Administration of a single dose of dimethylnitrosamine to rats temporarily fed on a protein-deficient diet causes a high incidence of kidney tumours. The effect of such a dose of dimethylnitrosamine (40mg/kg body wt.) on metabolism of nucleic acids and protein in rat liver and kidneys was examined during the week immediately after administration. 2. Incorporation of [(14)C]leucine and [(14)C]orotate into hepatic macromolecules was inhibited within 5h of injection of dimethylnitrosamine, and did not recover for at least 5 days. Interpretation of these results is complicated by the concomitant extensive hepatic necrosis. 3. Renal RNA synthesis was assayed by incorporation of [(14)C]orotate in vivo and measurement of DNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity in vitro. Both systems indicate biphasic inhibition; minimal activity was recorded 9h and 3 days after treatment. Changes in incorporation of [(14)C]leucine into renal protein were similar but less marked. 4. Sucrose-density-gradient analysis of renal cytoplasmic RNA indicated increased synthesis of rRNA 24h after injection of the nitrosamine. The rate of loss of radioactivity from kidney ribosomes pre-labelled with [(14)C]orotate was not modified by dimethylnitrosamine. 5. Dimethylnitrosamine increased incorporation of [(3)H]-thymidine into renal DNA. The three distinct periods of stimulated synthesis observed are discussed, with particular reference to recently published morphological studies of the sequential development of kidney tumours induced by dimethylnitrosamine in protein-depleted rats.     

Effect of cobalt on the synthesis and degradation of hepatic catalse in vivo

1. The administration of CoCl(2) to rats caused a decrease in hepatic catalase activity as well as a decrease in the amount of catalase protein as measured by immunological assay. The mitochondrial enzyme decreased progressively over 2 days, whereas the cytosol enzyme decreased over 12h and then remained essentially unchanged for 2 days after a single injection of cobalt. 2. Incorporation of [(14)C]glycine into catalase haem was dramatically decreased by a single injection of cobalt, but that into catalase protein remained essentially unaltered. 3. Incorporation of [(3)H]leucine into liver protein increased in rats in a steady state receiving a daily injection of cobalt, which was in contrast with a marked inhibition observed in 5-amino[(3)H]laevulinate incorporation. 4. The initial rate of [(3)H]leucine incorporation into mitochondrial and cytosol catalase did not alter or was slightly depressed in the cobalt-treated animals, whereas the incorporation of 5-amino[(3)H]laevulinate into mitochondrial and cytosol catalase was conspicuously decreased, indicating that haem synthesis was limiting catalase formation. 5. The degradation rate of catalase protein, as measured by a double-labelling method, was not changed by the cobalt treatment.     

Effect of Passive Avoidance Training on In Vitro Protein Synthesis in Forebrain Slices of Day-Old Chicks

Slices from the forebrains of day-old chicks represent a highly active in vitro protein-synthesising system. The in vitro incorporation of L-[14C]leucine into protein of slices was estimated to be 2.5 mmol/mg protein/h. Incorporation was linear over 90 min of incubation and was suppressed by 92% by 1 mM cycloheximide. The highest incorporation was into microsomal and cell-soluble fractions. Under the electron microscope, slices appeared vacuolated near the cut surfaces, but well preserved internally (greater than 40 micron from the edge). Autoradiography showed that radioactivity was incorporated evenly across the slice with no decrease in label in the central part of the tissue. The rate of incorporation was only weakly dependent on leucine concentration in the medium (0.04-1 mM). Addition of a mixture of unlabelled amino acids (1 mM) produced a 20-50% inhibition of incorporation of radioactive L-leucine depending on the amino acids involved. In slices prepared from chicks 1 h after training on a one-trial passive avoidance paradigm, L-[14C]leucine incorporation was 23% higher (p less than 0.01) in the forebrain roof than in slices from control chicks. This figure is comparable to the one previously reported in vivo. Subcellular fractionation of incubated slices from the forebrain roof of trained and control birds revealed that the increased protein synthesis was due mainly to an elevated leucine incorporation into the soluble fraction.     

Stimulation of rat intestinal protein synthesis by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3

To study general stimulatory effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on intestinal protein synthesis, slices of duodenal villi from 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-treated and vitamin D-deficient rats were incubated in vitro for 90 min at the surface of medium containing [3H]leucine. Incorporation of the [3H]leucine into TCA-precipitated protein, which was shown to be linear for 12 h and 90% inhibited by cycloheximide, was increased by 50-60% at 26 h after a single injection of 125 ng of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (three experiments, P less than 0.001). The increase, which was not due to circadian rhythm fluctuations of the intestine, was in synchrony with the second Ca2+ transport response observed by Halloran and DeLuca (Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 208, 477-486, 1981). However, no significant difference in [3H]leucine incorporation was observed before or during the initial Ca2+ transport response observed by Halloran and DeLuca, i.e., at 1.0, 3.0, and 6.5 h following an injection of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. The late onset of the 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3-induced increase in total protein synthesis implies that it is an indirect rather than a direct effect of the hormone.     

Studies on the flavins in rat liver mitochondrial outer membranes

The incorporation of radioactivity derived from [2-¹⁴C] riboflavin into the flavins of rat liver mitochondrial outer membranes was studied. These membranes were found to contain about 0.6 nmol of non-covalently bound flavins per mg protein; the majority is in the form of FAD (73%) and FMN (24%). The membranes also contain about 1.5 nmol per mg of covalently bound flavins.After labeling, radioactive flavins appeared in the non-covalently bound flavins for about 4 h. Most of this radioactivity was in FAD (77%). Neither the rate nor extent of this labelling was affected by cycloheximide (1 mg/kg) administered 30 min prior to the radioactive riboflavin. With the covalently bound flavins, radioactivity was incorporated into the coenzymes for at least 18 h, but the rate of incorporation was much slower. After cycloheximide, radioactive flavins continued to appear in covalently bound flavins for about 2 h, but then stopped. Labeling of both types of flavins after [¹⁴C] riboflavin was considerably slower than the incorporation of [³H] leucine into outer membrane proteins. These results suggest that with flavoproteins from the mitochondrial outer membranes, the incorporation of flavins occurs after synthesis of the various apoenyzmes is complete.     

Influence of autonomic agonists on the in vitro incorporation of [3H]leucine and N-acetyl[14C]mannosamine into submandibular action of the mouse

The influence of isoproterenol and pilocarpine on the in vitro incorporation of [3H]leucine and N-acetyl[14C]mannosamine into the proteins of the submandibular glands of the mouse has been investigated during a 10 h period. The total uptake of both labelled precursors into the glands was hardly affected by isoproterenol and pilocarpine during the first 2 h of incubation, thereafter both agonists decreased the uptake slightly. The incorporation of [3H]leucine into secreted proteins was largely similar for the control, isoproterenol and pilocarpine during an incubation of 10 h. [14C]ManNAc incorporation showed a lag period of about 2 h and could be observed in the secreted proteins after 2 h. Particularly after 6 h a strong increase was observed for the control and isoproterenol, whereas pilocarpine showed a much lower increase. The secreted protein components were separated by electrophoresis to study the incorporation of the labelled precursors in separate secretory proteins such as submandibular mucin. Apparently, both agonists increased the incorporation of [14C]ManNAc relative to [3H]leucine into submandibular mucin of the mouse. During a period of 10 h the [14C]ManNAc incorporation into the mucin was enhanced 2-3-fold by isoproterenol and 3-4-fold by pilocarpine. A non-radioactive experiment in vitro showed that the molar ratio of the sugar residues did not change. However, the total amount of sugars relative to the amino acids increased by 50%, pointing to an increase in the degree of glycosylation. This suggests that both adrenergic and cholinergic agonists regulate the total number of carbohydrate chains attached to one and the same polypeptide core of the submandibular mucin of the mouse.     

Amino acid requirement for the growth-hormone stimulation of incorporation of precursors into protein and nucleic acids of liver slices

1. Incorporation of [(14)C]leucine into protein in rat liver slices, incubated in vitro, increased as the concentration of unlabelled amino acids in the incubation medium was raised. A plateau of incorporation was reached when the amino acid concentration was 6 times that present in rat plasma. Labelling of RNA by [(3)H]orotic acid was not stimulated by increased amino acid concentration in the incubation medium. 2. When amino acids were absent from the medium, or present at the normal plasma concentrations, no effect of added growth hormone on labelling of protein or RNA by precursor was observed. 3. When amino acids were present in the medium at 6 times the normal plasma concentrations addition of growth hormone stimulated incorporation of the appropriate labelled precursor into protein of liver slices from normal rats by 31%, and into RNA by 22%. A significant effect was seen at a hormone concentration as low as 10ng/ml. 4. Under the same conditions addition of growth hormone also stimulated protein labelling in liver slices from hypophysectomized rats. Tissue from hypophysectomized rats previously treated with growth hormone did not respond to growth hormone in vitro. 5. No effect of the hormone on the rate or extent of uptake of radioactive precursors into acid-soluble pools was found. 6. Cycloheximide completely abolished the hormone-induced increment in labelling of both RNA and protein. 7. It was concluded that, in the presence of an abundant amino acid supply, growth hormone can stimulate the synthesis of protein in rat liver slices by a mechanism that is more sensitive to cycloheximide than is the basal protein synthesis. The stimulation of RNA labelling observed in the presence of growth hormone may be a secondary consequence of the hormonal effect on protein synthesis. 8. The mechanism of action of growth hormone on liver protein synthesis in vitro was concluded to be similar to its mechanism of action in vivo.     

PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN THE BRAIN OF OCTOPUS VULGARIS, LAM

Abstract— The process of protein synthesis in the brain of Octopus vulgaris Lam has been examined after systemic administration of [³H]leucine and upon incubation of the tissue in sea water containing the radioactive precursor. After injection of [³H]leucine in the branchial heart, the radioactivity of the TCA-soluble fractions of the three main brain divisions reached a maximum in about 30 min and decreased thereafter, while incorporation into the protein fractions was complete in approx. 2 h. Per unit wet weight the radioactivity of brain proteins was higher than that of most other organs. In vitro the rate of incorporation of [³H]leucine in the protein fraction of the optic lobe remained low for more than 1 h, but increased several fold thereafter. Preincubation of the tissue in sea water abolished the lag period. Similar effects were observed in the vertical lobe as well as in the optic lobe of young and adult octopuses but not in the white body, a non-nervous organ. The process of protein synthesis in the optic lobe is markedly inhibited by puromycin, cycloheximide and chloramphenicol. Electrophoretic analysis on polyacrylamide gels indicated that the soluble proteins labelled in vitro and in vivo are similar.     

Polyphasic changes in incorporation of precursors into ribonucleic acid of oestradiol-stimulated mammary gland

1. At 3 weeks after ovariectomy, mammary glands (5th pair) of adult Swiss mice show (i) no significant decrease in weight, (ii) 20% of the original rate of incorporation of [(3)H]-uridine into RNA (after a 30min pulse), and (iii) 90% of the original rate of incorporation of l-[(3)H]leucine into protein (after a 15min pulse). 2. A single injection of oestradiol-17beta into these ovariectomized mice produces, during the next 17h, a series of discrete bursts of increased incorporation of [(3)H]uridine into mammary-gland RNA; the bursts, which are variable in height, reach peaks at approx. 1, 9, 12 and 16h after hormone administration; an increase is already detected at 15min, the earliest time-point investigated; each burst lasts for approx. 2h. There is no significant stimulation of [(3)H]uridine incorporation into RNA of liver and quadriceps femoris muscle. 3. Nuclear incorporation of [(3)H]UTP into RNA of mammary gland in vitro is linear with time for up to 20min at 15 degrees C; it requires CTP, GTP and ATP and is inhibited by actinomycin D. Also, the incorporation is strongly inhibited by alpha-amanitin in high salt concentrations but only weakly in low salt concentrations, a result indicating that RNA polymerase II activity predominates in high salt, whereas RNA polymerase I activity predominates in low salt concentrations. Injection of oestradiol-17beta in vivo followed by measurement of nuclear RNA synthesis in vitro shows a definite increase in both RNA polymerase activities 30min after oestradiol-17beta injection, the earliest time-point investigated, a higher increase at 1h, a decline at 4h, and again a large increase at 12h. These results in general agree with the changes in precursor incorporation into RNA measured directly in the animal and suggest that changes in [(3)H]uridine uptake into RNA are not precursor-pool-dependent.     

Evidence for reverse cholesterol transport in vivo from liver endothelial cells to parenchymal cells and bile by high-density lipoprotein.

Acetylated low-density lipoprotein (acetyl-LDL), biologically labelled in the cholesterol moiety of cholesteryl oleate, was injected into control and oestrogen-treated rats. The serum clearance, the distribution among the various lipoproteins, the hepatic localization and the biliary secretion of the [3H]cholesterol moiety were determined at various times after injection. In order to monitor the intrahepatic metabolism of the cholesterol esters of acetyl-LDL in vivo, the liver was subdivided into parenchymal, endothelial and Kupffer cells by a low-temperature cell-isolation procedure. In both control and oestrogen-treated rats, acetyl-LDL is rapidly cleared from the circulation, mainly by the liver endothelial cells. Subsequently, the cholesterol esters are hydrolysed, and within 1 h after injection, about 60% of the cell- associated cholesterol is released. The [3H]cholesterol is mainly recovered in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) range of the serum of control rats, while low levels of radioactivity are detected in serum of oestrogen-treated rats. In control rats cholesterol is transported from endothelial cells to parenchymal cells (reverse cholesterol transport), where it is converted into bile acids and secreted into bile. The data thus provide evidence that HDL can serve as acceptors for cholesterol from endothelial cells in vivo, whereby efficient delivery to the parenchymal cells and bile is assured. In oestrogen-treated rats the radioactivity from the endothelial cells is released with similar kinetics as in control rats. However, only a small percentage of radioactivity is found in the HDL fraction and an increased uptake of radioactivity in Kupffer cells is observed. The secretion of radioactivity into bile is greatly delayed in oestrogen-treated rats. It is concluded that, in the absence of extracellular lipoproteins, endothelial cells can still release cholesterol, although for efficient transport to liver parenchymal cells and bile, HDL is indispensable.     

Impairment of glycoprotein secretion by phenobarbital in rat liver slices

The effects of phenobarbital on protein and glycoprotein synthesis and secretion were studied in rat liver slices. Phenobarbital (2 mM) decreased [¹⁴C]-glucosamine and [¹⁴C]leucine incorporation into liver proteins and markedly inhibited their incorporation into medium (secretory) proteins. This inhibitory effect of phenobarbital was dose dependent and not reversible under the conditions of this study. In the presence of cycloheximide, an inhibitor of peptide synthesis, phenobarbital still inhibited the release of glycoproteins into the medium; however, the specific activity of liver glycoproteins was increased. The effects of phenobarbital on hepatic macromolecular secretion, independent of its effects on synthesis, were determined by prelabeling proteins in a liver slice system with either [¹⁴C]leucine of [¹⁴C]glucosamine. When phenobarbital was present, the secretion of these prelabeled proteins into the medium was impaired. 12 h after intraperitoneal injections of phenobarbital, glycoprotein secretion was inhibited from liver slices prepared from the pretreated rats. This inhibition of secretion occurred even though protein synthesis was stimulated and intracellular glycosylations unaffected. The results of this study indicate that phenobarbital impairs the secretion of glycoproteins by the liver.     

Some biochemical effects of triamcinolone acetonide on rat liver and muscle

1. The powerful anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid triamcinolone acetonide, administered to rats at 20 and 2.5mg/kg, leads to a decrease in the incorporation in vivo of [(3)H]uridine and [(32)P]orthophosphate into hind-limb skeletal muscle. 2. At the higher dose, this decrease in the rate of incorporation of precursors into RNA precedes a decrease in the incorporating ability of muscle ribosomes, which commences about 4-5h after drug administration, but is unaccompanied by any changes in the concentration of tissue ATP or free amino acids. 3. The ribosomal dysfunction extends to polyribosomes, which can only be successfully isolated from the muscle of triamcinolone-treated animals after the addition of alpha-amylase to the tissue homogenate to remove glycogen. 4. The specific radioactivity of muscle protein labelled in vivo with (14)C-labelled amino acids does not decrease progressively after triamcinolone administration. After 2h there is an apparent stimulation of incorporation which leads to an overall discrepancy between measurements of protein-synthetic activity made in vivo and in vitro. 5. There is a significant increase in muscle-glycogen concentration between 8 and 12h after the administration of triamcinolone acetonide (20mg/kg), although a significant decrease occurs after 4h. The fall in glycogen concentration may be due to a decrease in the rate of synthesis of protein essential for glucose uptake into the tissues. 6. As judged by (a) incorporation of (14)C-labelled amino acids into protein, (b) [(3)H]uridine and [(32)P]-orthophosphate incorporation into RNA, (c) the rate of induction of tryptophan pyrrolase and (d) changes in the pool sizes of taurine and tryptophan, the responses in liver followed the same time-course as those in muscle after administration of the drug.     

3H]Leucine incorporation method as a tool to measure secondary production by periphytic bacteria associated to the roots of floating aquatic macrophyte

The present study assessed the application of [(3)H]Leucine incorporation into protein by periphytic bacteria associated with the roots of the floating aquatic macrophyte Eichornia crassipes. Basic assumptions underlying the method, such as linearity of leucine incorporation, saturation level of incorporation rates, incorporation into other macromolecules, specificity of incorporation for bacterial assemblages and [(3)H]Leucine degradation during samples storage were tested, and two procedures for extracting the incorporated leucine were compared. Both methods gave the same results, however, the hot TCA extraction method was less time consuming than the alkaline extraction method. Incorporation of [(3)H]Leucine was linear for up to 40 min. Saturation concentration of [(3)H]Leucine incorporation into protein was 1500 nM. An experiment with prokaryotic and eukaryotic inhibitors showed no significant [(3)H]Leucine incorporation into eukaryotes even in high leucine concentrations. No significant amounts of radiolabel were incorporated into other macromolecules. The maximum time of sample storage after the incubation is 15 days. The leucine incorporation method can be a reliable tool to measure bacterial production in the periphyton root-associated bacteria.     

Uptake of orotate and thymidine by normal and regenerating rat livers

1. At 1h after operation livers from partially hepatectomized rats showed a 60-100% increase in the capacity to concentrate (3)H radioactivity from orotate, thymidine or uridine with respect to the radioactivity in plasma. Uptake of [(3)H]cytidine into liver was unaffected, as was entry of any precursor studied into any tissue other than liver. 2. This increase in intracellular radioactivity was detectable 10min after operation with both orotate and thymidine. With orotate the augmentation had disappeared by 3 days, but with thymidine it was still evident 8 days after partial hepatectomy, when [(3)H]thymidine incorporation into DNA was no longer increased. Competition studies established that orotate was not entering the liver by the same mechanism as thymidine. 3. In the soluble fraction of the liver all the (3)H radioactivity from orotate was present as uridine nucleotides. Thymidine was not phosphorylated, and was believed to be catabolized.     

Control of amylase biosynthesis and release in the parotid gland of the rat

1. Amylase biosynthesis and release in the rat parotid were studied under various conditions. Incorporation of [(3)H]leucine into amylase, extracted from the tissue by immunoadsorbent, was measured and found to be time-dependent and totally inhibited by the protein synthesis inhibitor puromycin. 2. Adrenaline, at a concentration (10mum) that gave maximum stimulation of release, inhibited [(3)H]leucine incorporation into both total protein and amylase. This effect was reversed by phentolamine. 3. Adrenaline (1mum) and isoproterenol (10mum) stimulated biosynthesis of total protein and amylase. These effects were blocked by propranolol, as were the effects on release. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (2mm) mimicked the effects of isoproterenol and adrenaline (1mum) on both amylase biosynthesis and release. All the above stimulatory effects on amylase biosynthesis were only observed if the tissue was pretreated with effector before pulse-labelling with [(3)H]leucine. 4. Insulin (625muunits/ml initial concentration, 150muunits/ml final concentration) stimulated incorporation of [(3)H]leucine into total protein and amylase when added to the tissue at the same time as the leucine. 5. Carbamoylcholine (10mum) decreased [(3)H]leucine incorporation into total protein and amylase when both were added to the tissue simultaneously, but this effect was prevented by removal of effector and washing the tissue before addition of [(3)H]leucine. 6. Stimulation of beta-adrenergic receptors increased both amylase release and biosynthesis, but stimulation of alpha-receptors can inhibit biosynthesis without inhibiting release. Cholinergic agents can also inhibit amylase biosynthesis, but stimulate release. Insulin at approximately physiological concentration can increase incorporation of leucine into amylase without stimulating release. The system described therefore provides an excellent model for the further investigation of the mechanisms of these diverse effects.     

Mechanism of corticotropin action on adrenal protein synthesis. The effects of inhibitors of protein synthesis and calcium chelators

We have recently shown that beside a general stimulation of most adrenal proteins, corticotropin induces a marked increase in a specific adrenal cytosolic protein, protein E, in intact and hypophysectomized rats. To further clarify the mechanisms by which corticotropin exerts its trophic action we have investigated the effects of cycloheximide, calcium and calcium chelator administration on intact and hypophysectomized animals. These substances were injected in rats with or without corticotropin, and slices of adrenal glands from control and treated animals were removed 5 h later, incubated with [14C]- or [3H]-leucine for 2 h, and cytosolic proteins analyzed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using a dual labelling technique. When high doses of cycloheximide (higher than 500 micrograms) were injected in rats, incorporation of labelled leucine in adrenal slices of control and corticotropin-treated animals was inhibited. With 500 micrograms cycloheximide per rat, incorporation of labelled leucine in adrenal slices of control animals was normal, but the corticotropin stimulation of both protein E and total protein synthesis was inhibited. Lower doses of cycloheximide (100 micrograms per rat) completely inhibited the stimulatory effect of corticotropin on total protein synthesis but did not affect protein E synthesis, while after 50 micrograms per rat both stimulatory effects were preserved. The two higher doses of cycloheximide (500 and 100 micrograms per rat) could not completely block the steroidogenic effect of the hormone. The effects of calcium and calcium chelators were studied in 1-day hypophysectomized rats. Calcium alone or injected simultaneously with corticotropin has no effect. Calcium chelators injected simultaneously with corticotropin partially inhibited the stimulatory effects of corticotropin on steroidogenesis but totally inhibited stimulation of total protein synthesis, while the stimulation of protein E persisted. Our results show that after corticotropin, stimulation of protein E synthesis correlates better with steroidogenesis than with total protein synthesis.