H. Patrick

Synthesis of taurine from sulfate by the chick.

Summary The young chick actively converts sulfate-sulfur into taurine. The presence of optimum levels of inorganic sulfate in the diet appears to enhance the reaction more than with organic sulfur. Dietary cysteine represses the formation of total taurine in the liver and taurocholate-S35in the bile fluid. These preliminary data suggest that one or more of the nonessential amino acids may combine with activated sulfate to form taurine without passing via cysteine. Components of one carbon metabolism and vitamin B12. appear to be associated with the overall reaction.

On the Synthesis of Taurine from Sulfate by the Chick I. Influential Dietary Factors.

Summary Many tissues in the chick are equipped with the enzymes necessary for conversion of sulfate-S35 into taurine. Supplementation of a low sulfur amino acid diet with serine, glycine, ethanolamine, sodium ise-thionate, methionine, or cysteine enhanced sulfate-S35 incorporation into liver taurine. Addition of the sodium salts of thiosulfate, sulfate, or sulfite to the ration increased liver taurine-S35 and bile taurocholate-S35. The optimum level of sodium sulfate supplementation was 0.7% of the diet. Incorporation into taurine of labeled carbons occurred when cys-teine-3-C14, alanine-C14-UL, ethanolamine-1-2-C14, serine-3-C14, serine-C14-UL, and sly-cine-1-C14 were administered.

Alkaline phosphatases of the chick. Partial characterization of the tissue isozymes.

Summary The results in this experiment suggest that the increased serum alkaline phosphatase does not appear to be of liver or intestinal origin but may be of bone origin. Evidence in support of this finding has been obtained by the following: changes in alkaline phosphatase activity of various tissues during growth, measuring the change of enzyme activity and Ca45 concentration of various tissues after water dosing, enzyme properties of these tissues during ammonium sulfate fractionation and dialysis, and the chromato-graphic behavior of this enzyme from various tissues. It was also observed that the change of alkaline phosphatase activity in bone and blood is associated with the calcium metabolism.

INCORPORATION OF ARSENIC INTO COCK SPERM.

Arsenicals have been shown to stimulate growth and improve feed efficiency in broilers and to improve laying hen performance. Although Pope and Schaible (1) reported that arsanilic acid exerts a sparing action on the protein requirement of breeding hens and layers when egg production was the criterion, small amounts did not improve hatchability or fertility in breeding chickens. Excess arsenic has been shown to be toxic to chickens. The position of arsenic in the periodic table would suggest that it has some chemical properties which are similar to phosphorus, and therefore, could replace phosphorus in some compounds. Since P32I4 or phosphate-P32 is readily incorporated into the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of cock sperm in amounts allowing its detection (2) it was decided to use radioactive Arsenic (As76) and also stable arsenic in mineralization studies with cock sperm to determine if arsenic was incorporated into the DNA of sperm. Experimental. Ten sexually active New Hampshire cocks selected from a group maintained for artificial insemination were each given 200 μC of radioactive Arsenic 76 as As2O3 subcutaneously. The semen was collected 26 hours after radionuclide administration and each 26 hours thereafter for 4 collections. Twenty-six hours was used as the collection time because it was estimated that this period plus the time required to fractionate the semen would be equivlent to one half-life of Arsenic76 (about 26.8 hours). The radioactivity of the semen, sperm, seminal fluid, protein (TCA precipitate) and DNA fraction was determined. The DNA fraction was prepared as outlined by Borenfreund, Fitt and Bendich (3). The results are shown in Table I and demonstrate that Arsenic 76 was readily incorporated into cock sperm. Most of the Arsenic76 was found in the diluent (seminal fluid) and fractionation of the sperm showed that on the 52 hour period the sperm contained the greatest concentration of Arsenic76. The DNA fraction had its greatest concentration on the 78 hour period and protein fraction on the 52 hour period. Since these data indicated that Arsenic76 was in the DNA fraction of sperm, a further study was designed to study the incorporation of stable arsenic into the DNA of sperm.

The Incorporation of S35O4 into Bile of Chicks.

Summary Chicks utilize sulfate-S35 to synthesize taurine. Dietary cholic acid, taurine or both are associated with increased volumes of bile fluid. Cholic acid feeding enhances sulfate-S35 incorporation into the bile while taurine decreases such reactions.