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Protein nutrition and metabolism during early development of the chick embryo

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7122419
Cultures of intact early chick embryos have been used as a model system in which to study the nutrition and metabolism of proteins during early embryonic development. Previous studies have shown that these embryos require nutrient proteins for growth and development. The protein requirement was found to be specific in that at least two proteins were essential; one a transferrin (either conalbumin or yolk transferrin) and the other either ovalbumin or lipovitellin. Variations in the quantity or type of protein provided in the medium altered the growth of embryo regions through regionally specific changes of protein breakdown. This was confirmed through protein synthetic studies with isolated polyribosomes. More recently such variations in protein nutrition have been shown also to effect the actual patterns of protein synthesized by regions of the embryo. These observed responses to protein nutrition have been difficult to reconcile with our observation that proteins as such did not reach the embryo proper but were first degraded to amino acids within the yolk-sac membrane. Studies on the synthesis of serum proteins by the yolk-sac membrane have provided a possible explanation in that the relative synthesis of individual serum proteins was dramatically influenced by the protein composition of the culture medium. We are currently attempting to demonstrate that serum proteins are indeed the mediators of the response of embryos to protein nutrition.
Research Organization:
Connecticut Univ., Storrs (USA). Dept. of Animal Genetics
OSTI ID:
7122419
Report Number(s):
COO-3139-24; CONF-760211-2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English