Seasonal modulation of synthesis of the neurosecretory egg-laying hormone of Aplysia

Biosynthesis of the peptide egg-laying hormone by the bag cells of Aplysia was monitored throughout the year to determine whether the synthesis of neurosecretory proteins is modulated in accordance with secretory demand. The rate of synthesis of precursors to the hormone was found to vary seasonally, being approximately twofold higher during the late summer egg-laying season than during midwinter. Since there was no change in the distribution of radioactivity among members of the proteolytic processing sequence leading to the hormone, these data imply a seasonal modulation of the production of the secretory product. The synthetic rate showed no correlation with animal maturity or recent egg-laying history. However, there was a significant interaction between the seasonal effect and elevation of hormone synthesis induced by exposure to elevated external potassium, suggesting that these two modulatory factors exert their effects at a common point in the mechanism of hormone biosynthesis.