Autoradiographic study of the incorporation of tritiated leucine into mouse neurons and glial cells]

The renewal of labeled proteins in neuronal and glial cells was investigated by means of quantitative light microscope radioautography. Adult and young mice were sacrificed at long intervals after one tritiated leucine injection. Results shpwed the persistance of an increased quantity of label in the young glial cells. For both adult and young, the relative rate of labeled protein breakdown was higher in oligodendrocytes than in astrocytes.