Cell-specific synthesis and glycosylation of secretory proteins in larval salivary glands of Chironomus thummi

Synthesis and glycosylation of larval salivary gland secretory proteins of Chironomus thummi were analyzed with respect to cell specific differences in the Balbiani ring (BR) pattern and glycoprotein composition of secretion formerly detected by histochemical staining procedures. In the secretion of a special cell type in salivary glands, which is characterized by the appearance of an additional BR, an additional polypeptide with a relative molecular weight (M_r) of 160 kD was found differing in its antigenic properties and tryptic fingerprint pattern from main cell secretion proteins. This so-called ssp-160 component is preferentially synthesized and glycosylated in the special cells. In the same cells, both the synthesis and glycosylation of all other major secretory proteins was found to be diminished or even repressed. In contrast to the conspicuous cell-specific differences at the level of protein synthesis, RNA analyses show the prominent synthesis of 75 S RNA in both main and special cells and gave no clear indication of the synthesis of a smaller RNA fraction as expected from the size of ssp-160 component. — These and further data on synthesis and properties of secretory proteins as well as expression of BR DNA are discussed with regard to the assumption that at least some of the eight major secretory polypeptides are coded for by BR DNA. The BR gene(s) might have originated by manifold duplications and modifications of short repetitive prototype DNA sequences, which are coordinatively expressed.On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of his birth-day we wish to dedicate this paper to Professor Wolfgang Beermann who was the first to detect, by the discovery of cell specific expression of BR 4 of Chironomus pallidivittatus salivary gland chromosomes and the concomitant occurrence of cell specific secretion granules, a causual relationship between the activity of a Balbiani ring and the appearance of a secretion component (Beermann, 1961)addressee for reprint requests