Summary
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1)
14C-Aspartate or15N-glutamate were injected into intact lugworms which subsequently were subjected to experimental anaerobiosis. The distribution of the label after different periods of anoxia was analyzed.
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2)
After two hours most of the radioactivity of14C-aspartate was recovered in malate and succinate.
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3)
An increase of alanine was observed during an early phase of anaerobiosis which is probably correlated to the decrease of aspartate. However,d-alanine was found to arise in quantities similar to those ofl-alanine. Therefore, metabolism of aspartate does not account for the total alanine accumulated. A correlation between the opposite changes of the two amino acids was demonstrated by the distribution of15N between alanine and applied glutamate. In addition, inhibition of glutamate pyruvate transaminase by aminooxyacetate resulted in a delay of aspartate utilization, i.e. glutamate oxalacetate transaminase was influenced indirectly.
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4)
Glycine which is present in very high concentrations in the body wall musculature ofArenicola, was not metabolized in significant quantities.
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The lugworms took up alanine and glycine from the surrounding water until their concentrations fell to about 15 μmol/l. The uptake of the amino acids, however, occurred only in the presence of oxygen.
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6)
The possible role of aspartate in the anaerobic metabolism ofArenicola is discussed.
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Felbeck, H. Investigations on the role of the amino acids in anaerobic metabolism of the lugwormArenicola marina L.. J Comp Physiol B 137, 183–192 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689219
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00689219