Effect of Diabetes on the Activity of Soluble Factors Required in Protein Synthesis

Abstract

The effect of chronic diabetes on the ability of soluble factors to support ribosomal protein synthesis was studied. It was found that the hepatic supernatant fraction prepared from pancreatectomized diabetic rats was less efficient than normal in catalyzing the incorporation of ³H-phenylalanine into microsomal protein. The ability to incorporate radioactivity from aminoacyl-sRNA into ribosomal protein, however, was unchanged in diabetes. Subsequent experiments confirmed the impression that the formation of aminoacyl-sRNA is depressed in the hepatic 30,000 rpm supernatant prepared from diabetic animals.

Key words

Diabetes - Protein Synthesis - Soluble Enzyme Activity

1 Present Address: Dr. Margo P. Cohen, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Department of Medicine,1400 Chrysler Freeway, Detroit, Michigan 48207, USA