TISSUE DIFFERENCES IN PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS OF THE BUDGERIGAR (MELOPSITTACUS-UNDULATUS)

In a series of experiment to elucidate the rule of amino acid requirem ents in the fowls from small to large ones, the fractional synthesis r ates (FSR) of protein were determined to collect basal data on protein and amino acid metabolism in budgerigars as a small bird. Twenty youn g adult budgerigars were injected with 0.1 ml/10 g body weight contain ing 40 mu Ci/100 mu mol phenylalanine/ml in a wing vein, and killed at 2 and 10 min after the injection. The FSR in the whole body, liver, p roventriculs and gizzard, intestine and breast muscle were determined. The FSR were not the same in ail tissues, and estimated values were h ighest in the liver (104.7), and followed by the intestines (68.0), wh ole body (55.2), proventriculs+Gizzard (46.8), heart (35.8) and breast muscle (26.9%/day).