Glycogen synthase in the rat tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta--II. Control of enzyme activity by glucose and glycogen.

1. The proportion of activity in the physiologically active I form of glycogen synthase in Hymenolepis diminuta (Cestoda) decreased in the worm when the rat host was fasted and was greatly increased in the cestode 1 hr after a 24 hr fasted rat was refed. 2. The increase in glycogen synthase I activity was due to glucose present in the host gut after feeding, not to other physiological changes in the rat intestine due to meal consumption. 3. Incubation of intact H. diminuta in vitro with glucose also resulted in the conversion of glycogen synthase D to I. 4. Glucose does not appear to affect the glycogen synthase complex directly, because neither the total synthase converted to I nor the rate of conversion was affected by glucose in a partially purified homogenate. 5. High concentrations of glycogen inhibited the synthase D to I conversion and high mol. wt glycogen was a more effective inhibitor than low mol. wt glycogen.