QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s):
Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by KILBY, B. A. Articles by NEVILLE, E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by KILBY, B. A. Articles by NEVILLE, E.

Journal of Experimental Biology 34,276-289 (1957)
Published by Company of Biologists 1957

Amino-Acid Metabolism in Locust Tissues

B. A. KILBY ¹ and ELISABETH NEVILLE ²

¹ Department of Biochemistry, University of Leeds
² Department of Biochemistry University of Leeds

1. Homogenates of fat-body of Schistocerca gregaria Forsk. were shown to catalyse transamination reactions between -ketoglutarate and numerous -amino acids. The aspartate/glutamate and alanine/glutamate transaminases were the most active. They were present in both the ‘soluble’ and the mitochondrial fractions of fat-body cells and also in Malpighian tubules and mid-gut wall. The other transaminases in the fat-body were confined to the mitochondrial fraction.

2. Fat-body, Malpighian tubule and mid-gut wall homogenates were able to convert glutamic acid into glutamine, a compound which could also act as an amino-group donor in some transamination reactions.

3. A glutamate-cytochrome c reductase system which involved diphosphopyridine nucleotide was present in fat-body.

4. Fat-body contained an active arginase, but urease could not be detected. A D-amino-acid oxidase was present, together with a less active L-amino-acid oxidase.

5. In general, it appears that amino-acid metabolism in the locust resembles that in higher animals.