Protein Synthesis Enhanced in the Liver of Rats Force-Fed a Threonine-Devoid Diet

Abstract

There is enhanced incorporation of leucine-C(14) into proteins in cell-free preparations from livers of young rats force-fed a threonine-devoid diet for 3 days. This increased protein synthesis in the liver is related predominantly to enhanced activity of ribosomes. The aggregates of liver ribosomes (ergosonmes or polysomes) as measured in a sucrose gradient indicated a shift from lighter toward heavier ergosomes with a decrease in monomers.