Protein Turnover in Skeletal Muscle. II. The Effect of Starvation and a Protein-Free Diet on the Synthesis and Catabolism of Skeletal Muscle Proteins in Comparison to Liver

Abstract

1. Rates of synthesis and catabolism of liver and muscle sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein have been measured in young control, starved and protein (deprived) rats using [¹⁴C]Na₂CO₃ to label protein. 2. Half-lives for synthesis of 1·35, 2·8 and 7·2 days for liver, sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins respectively were obtained, whilst half-lives for catabolism were 1·55, 3·6 and 15·6 days in each case in the control animals. 3. The protein free diet for 3 days caused a small decrease in the rate of synthesis of liver and muscle proteins. The catabolic rate of liver protein was increased by 20% whilst there was a smaller increase in the catabolic rate of myofibrillar proteins. 4. Starvation for 3 days caused a 20% reduction in the rate of liver protein synthesis whilst there were greater reductions in muscle protein synthesis. The catabolic rate of liver protein was only slightly increased whereas there was a 75% increase in the rate of myofibrillar protein breakdown. 5. The total amount of protein synthesis and catabolism in liver and the two muscle protein fractions over the first 3 days of the three regimes were calculated. Muscle protein turnover, in particular myofibrillar, was shown to be very sensitive to dietary protein and/or calorie deficiency. 6. These results are discussed in terms of the mobility and therefore importance of muscle protein metabolism in the economy of the whole animal.