Oxidative phosphorylation and amino acid incorporation into protein in regenerating rat liver.

Abstract

SummaryIn slices from regenerating rat liver 84 and 168 hours after hepatectomy, oxygen consumption is moderately increased and glycine-1-C14, L-leucine-C14 and L-phenylalanine-C14 incorporation into protein is markedly increased as compared with normal liver slices. On the other hand, in liver homogenates, incubated with succinate or α-ketoglutarate as substrates, oxidative phosphorylation is decreased in the early stages (84 hours) of regeneration. The results suggest the following conclusions: 1) in regenerating liver tissue, amino acid incorporation into protein can increase even without a parallel increase in the aerobic formation of high energy phosphates; 2) in both normal and regenerating rat liver, the availability of ~ P greatly exceeds that needed for protein synthesis.