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Eukaryotic elongation factor-2 (eEF-2) activity in bovine mammary tissue in relation to milk protein synthesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2002

CLAUS T. CHRISTOPHERSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Grønnegårdsvej 7, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
JAKOB KARLSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Grønnegårdsvej 7, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
METTE O. NIELSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Anatomy & Physiology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Grønnegårdsvej 7, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
BENT RIIS
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Product Quality, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Research Centre Foulom, P.O. Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark

Abstract

The amount of protein synthesis translational elongation factor 2 (eEF-2) was estimated employing diphtheria toxin-dependent ADP-ribosylation in samples prepared from small amounts of tissue from mammary gland, skeletal muscle and liver from lactating dairy cows. A very high level of ADP-ribosylatable eEF-2 was found in mammary gland, amounting to 20-times the level found in liver and 50-times the level found in skeletal muscle. This obviously reflects the high protein synthesis activity in mammary tissue. To our knowledge, similar high activities have previously been reported only for cancer cells. A close linear relationship was found between the amount of diphtheria-toxin catalysed ADP-ribosylated eEF-2 and protein and casein output in milk from cows in late lactation. This strongly suggests that eEF-2 may be a limiting factor in milk protein synthesis.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2002

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