RELATIONS BETWEEN METABOLISM AND MORPHOGENESIS DURING REGENERATION IN TUBIFEX TUBIFEX I

Abstract

1. Methods of measuring "rate of localization," "rate of early differentiation," and "rate of later differentiation," during posterior regeneration in Tubifex tubifex have been described.2. A method of measuring oxygen consumption of individual worms has been described.3. Oxygen consumption, as determined according to the above mentioned method and also according to the Warburg manometric method, has been found to proceed at a near normal rate during localization and early stages of differentiation in the first week of regeneration.4. Markedly increased rate of oxygen consumption has been found associated with maximum rate of later differentiation during the second week of regeneration.5. No significant cyanide-sensitive fraction of respiration was found at any stage of regeneration.6. Worms in which regeneration had been inhibited by X-ray treatment showed no increase in oxygen consumption.7. Loss of weight by the starving regenerating worms was found to be almost twice as great as by the intact worms.8. The data have been discussed in terms of a metabolic cost of differentiation, which cost would be at least half as great as the metabolic cost of maintenance of the entire worm.9. It is concluded that the marked increase in aerobic metabolism observed during regeneration in T. tubifex is associated with some process or processes involved in differentiation.