title: Ontogenetic development of L-gulonolactone oxidase activity in several vertebrates.
abstract: Activity of L-gulonolactone oxidase (EC 1.1.3.8) in livers of fetal Rattus norvegicus and Mus musculus was detectable on the 18th day of gestation, increased rapidly to maxima at 15 and 5 days postpartum for the two species, respectively, and thereafter declined to adult levels. L-Gulonolactone oxidase was not detectable in liver or kidney of fetal guinea pigs at any stage of development. Near-term fetal snowshoe hares had higher activities of liver L-gulonolactone oxidase than observed in a large sample of adults. L-Gulonolactone oxidase was detectable in chicken (Gallus gallus) embryos by the sixth day of incubation, increased rapidly in the kidney with no discontinuity at hatching, reached a maximum at about the 35th day from the beginning of incubation, and then declined to adult levels. Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) embryos appeared to synthesize little if any L-ascorbic acid; nestlings had considerably higher levels of L-gulonolactone oxidase than adults. Tadpoles of three species of frogs had appreciable levels of L-gulonolactone oxidase activity.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D001717:Birds; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D005260:Female; D007668:Kidney / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development*; D050544:L-Gulonolactone Oxidase; D007793:Lagomorpha; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development*; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011894:Rana pipiens; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013045:Species Specificity; D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D013401:Sugar Alcohol Dehydrogenases; D050544:L-Gulonolactone Oxidase