EFFECT OF PROLONGED STARVATION ON THE ACTIVITIES OF MALIC ENZYME AND ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE IN TISSUES OF JAPANESE-QUAIL

During starvation muscle protein degradation is increased but the mech anism for this is uncertain. In this study Japanese quail were starved for 5 days and the activities of malic enzyme and acetylcholinesteras e were determined in various tissues. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electroph oresis showed that the soluble proteins with molecular weights corresp onding to 160, 120, 108, 99 and 38 kDa were absent in the liver of the starved group. In the pectoral muscle the soluble proteins with molec ular weights corresponding to 69, 41 and 34 kDa were missing. The acti vity of malic enzyme in the liver, heart and pectoral muscle of the st arved group decreased markedly whereas that of acetylcholinesterase in creased markedly in the pectoral muscle (P < 0.005). It is concluded t hat in prolonged starvation acetylcholinesterase synthesis may be indu ced in tissues being subjected to protein catabolism and that this enz yme may be involved as a protease in protein degradation.