Abstract
The specific activity of cathepsin C and other tissue parameters have been studied in five tadpole tissues during spontaneous and triiodothyronine (T 3)-induced metamorphosis. During spontaneous metamorphosis, all these tissues showed an increase in cathepsin C activity at some point in the metamorphic climax. The effect is especially pronounced in the tadpole tail in which cathepsin C activity increases at least 100-fold from an almost undetectable level to the highest activity in any tissue tested. Cathepsin C activity also increased 3- to 4-fold in the gills, but from a much higher initial premetamorphic level. An increase in enzyme activity in kidney, liver, and lungs was also observed during spontaneous metamorphosis. However, only in tail tissue was there a decisive increase in cathepsin C activity up to 14 days after an injection of an effective dose of T 3. The implications of these data have been discussed in relation to the mechanism of tissue resorption and the possibility of additional factors being involved in certain metamorphic processes.
Published Version
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