1) The body fluid of a new mutant silkworm “Aka-aka” was found to turn red instead of brack which is usually seen in the normal strains when exposed in the air.
2) A large amount of 3-hydroxykynurenine was found to be contained in this mutant body fluid times (20 times as much as those of the normal types) and its amount decreased as the body fluid turned red. Therefore, it is suggested that 3-hydroxykynurenine is responsible for the red coloration of body fluid.
3) To verify this assumption, the following experiments were carried out in vitro:
after exposure in the air
body fluid of the normal type blackish brown
body fluid of the normal type+ OH-kynurenine brown
body fluid of Aka-aka red
extract from normal body fluid+potato tyrosinase blackish brown
extract from normal body fluid++ OH-kynu. +potato tyrosinase reddish brown
extract from Aka-aka body fluid+potato tyrosinase red
(OH-kynurenine DL-3-hydroxykynurenine)
and it was assumed that both metabolites of tyrosine and tryptophan might be concerned together to the red coloration of the body fluid in this insect and that, in this case, both kinds of chromogens, derived from the different origins, might condense with each other.
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