title: Vitellogenin precursors in the liver of the oviparous lizard, Podarcis sicula.
abstract: In reptiles, as in the other oviparous vertebrates, vitellogenin (VTG) synthesis is stimulated in the liver by ovarian estrogens. In this article, the presence of VTG precursors was detected in liver subcellular fractions of the oviparous lizard, Podarcis sicula, in the reproductive period. The rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) and the smooth microsomal fraction (SMF), which includes smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, were separated by means of two different sucrose gradients. The successful separation was controlled at the electron microscope. The contents of the different compartments were extracted by means of n-octyl-beta-D-glucopiranoside detergent and subjected to SDS-PAGE. Western Blotting with homologous anti/VTG antibody revealed two immunoreactive proteins of about 84 and 70 kDa in the RER, and four proteins of about 180, 150, 60, 50 kDa in the SMF; all these proteins appeared phosphorylated and glycosylated. The differences in the molecular weight of these VTG precursors are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary and Comparative Biology, University Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rosanova
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Marciano
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Anteo
authors.forename: Ermelinda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Limatola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D018870:Endoplasmic Reticulum, Rough / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008116:Lizards / Q000378:metabolism*; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008862:Microsomes, Liver / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014819:Vitellogenins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014819:Vitellogenins