NUTRIENT DEPRIVATION AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS IN THE PREGNANT EWE, FETUS AND PLACENTA

Abstract

A continuous infusion of labelled tyrosine into the ewe and fetus was used to determine protein synthetic rates in maternal, fetal and placental tissues in fed and 48 h starved ewes. From the tyrosine content and plateau-specific activity values in the plasma, intracellular free and protein bound pools, protein synthesis was found to be reduced in the fetus and ewe but not in the placenta as a result of maternal starvation. Key words: Protein synthesis, ewe, fetus, placenta