[Intracellular processes leading to the induction of insulin membrane receptors. Study on Acetabularia mediterranea]

Algal cells have been incubated for 7 to 10 days in darkness in sea water containing either actinomycin D or cycloheximide (10 mug/ml) or fructose glucose (5.5 mM). Measurements of insulin fixation to whole cells, plasma membranes or cytosol fractions after that treatment indicate that dark consumption of chloroplastic fructosans stored in photosynthetic conditions would lead to a "signal" inducing translation and transcription of nuclear DNA genetic message resulting in an increase of the number of insulin cellular receptor sites.