AMINO ACID INCORPORATION IN ISOLATED MAUTHNER NERVE FIBRE COMPONENTS

Abstract

Incorporation in vivo and in vitro of 14carbon [C14] lysine and 35Sulfur [S35] methionine into the proteins of the axon and myelin sheath from the giant Mauthner neuron. In the rostral part of the axon it could be shown that there is a proximodistal flow of proteins synthesized in the Mauthner cell body. No such transport processes were observed in the myelin sheath. A coexisting local protein synthesis was demonstrated in the axon as well as in the myelin sheath in experiments carried out in vivo and in vitro. In the latter case, puromycin was used to demonstrate inhibition of protein synthesis, suggesting ribosomal engagement.