Summary
During the first four days of the imaginai stage the fat cells of ovariectomized females of Calliphora develop a protein synthetic apparatus, and produce dense bodies (lysosomes) as do the fat cells of normal females, but apparently they cannot synthesize the protein secretion granules that characterize the productive phase of the fat cells of normal females and that we believe to represent vitellogenin. Injection of ovariectomized females with β-ecdysone restored the ability of the fat cells to produce the secretion granules. It is suggested that the ovary gives off a factor which induces the production of the protein secretion granules by the fat cells, and that the factor from the ovary can be substituted by β-ecdysone. This, we believe, is the first ultrastructural evidence for an effect of the ovary and of β-ecdysone on the synthesis of specific protein.
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We are grateful to the Carlsberg Foundation and to the Danish Science Research Council for generous grants, and to the latter for placing an electron microscope at our disposal. It is a pleasure to thank Dr. Gareth Griffiths for valuable advice as to the preservation of the fat body tissue. We also thank Mrs. Lotte Bakhoj and Mrs. Elsebeth Lund for skilful technical assistance
1896–1976
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Thomsen, E., Thomsen, M. Production of specific-protein secretion granules by fat body cells of the blowfly, Calliphora erythrocephala . Cell Tissue Res. 193, 25–33 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221598
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00221598