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Some experiments on the nutrition of Moniliformis dubius Meyer (Acanthocephala)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

S. J. Edmonds
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Adelaide, Australia

Extract

When rats infected with Moniliformis dubius were dosed orally with labelled sodium phosphate considerable quantities of 32P were found to have been absorbed by the gut-mucosa of the rats and the tissues of the parasites. When the rats were dosed intraperitoneally considerable quantities of 32P were found in the gut-mucosa of the rats but only small quantities in the tissues of the parasites. Similar results were obtained when the experiment was repeated using labelled L-leucine 14C in place of the phosphate and estimating 14C in place of 32P.

The available evidence indicates that M. dubius depends for some of its food-requirements on the contents of the gut of its host rather than on the tissues of its host.

Preliminary experiments showed that the rate of uptake of L-leucine 14C by M. dubius in vitro was decreased if one of the following amino acids were present: DL-valine, DL-serine or DL-methionine.

The author wishes to thank the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Adelaide for the assistance given to him with the experiments on the estimation of 14C.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1965

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