Protein synthesis in the liver of Bufo marinus: cost and contribution to oxygen consumption

While many estimates of the contribution of protein synthesis to metabolic rate exist for a variety of animals, most rely on theoretical costs of protein synthesis. The limitations of this approach are that theoretical costs depend upon variable estimates of ATP cost per peptide bond. In addition, they do not take into account the fact that there are protein-specific pre- and post-translational costs. By inhibiting, protein synthesis with cycloheximide and measuring the resultant decrease in oxygen consumption, we have measured the actual cost of protein synthesis and its contribution to metabolic rate in an in vitro system of tissue slices from Bufo marinus. Such measurements exist for endotherms, but there are few such measurements for ectotherms, and none have been done previously for amphibians. The cost of protein synthesis in liver slices from B. marinus was 7.32+/-1.19 mmol O2 x g(protein)(-1) (x +/- SE, n = 48) and protein synthesis accounted for 12% of the total metabolic rate of this tissue. This cost is comparable to values measured for other ectotherms although the contribution of protein synthesis to metabolic rate is at the lower end of the range of estimates for other ectotherms.