BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON THE FORMATION OF THE SILKPROTEIN

III. THE CONVERSION OF C¹⁴-LABELED PHENYLALANINE TO TYROSINE IN THE SILKWORM LARVA (BOMBYX MORI)

Abstract

1. To clarify the conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine in the silkworm, isotopic phenylalanine-2-C¹⁴ was injected into the silkworm body at the 5th stage, and the radioactivity of tyrosine isolated from the produced cocoon fibres was detected.
2. Tyrosine, being one of the main constituent amino acids of the silkprotein, is synthesized from phenylalanine in the silkworm body and then is used for the biosynthesis of the silkproteins.