Changes in Riboflavin during Embryonic Development as Functions of the Embryo

Abstract

A study has been made on the effects of X-irradiation on the egg of the grasshopper, M. diffsrentialis, in order to determine the part played by the embryo in the changes in riboflavin of the egg. Fluorometric and spectrometric data are presented for both normal and X-irradiated eggs. Eggs in which the embryo is destroyed by X-irradiation show little if any change in their riboflavin content. Normal or embryo-containing eggs show marked changes in riboflavin, especially late in embryonic development. Riboflavin is converted into pterines only in non-irradiated or normal eggs. The conversion of riboflavin into pterines seems to be a specific property of the embryo per se and not of differentiated extra-embryonic structures, such as the serosa.