Effects of imprinting on lysine uptake and incorporation into protein in chick brain

One-day old chicks were exposed for either 30, 60, or 120 min to an imprinting stimulus or kept in darkness in similar conditions. At the end of this time they were injected peripherally with 14C-lysine and killed 20 min later. The radioactivity of free lysine and that incorporated into protein was measured; incorporation was found to differ between exposed and dark birds only in the anterior part of the forebrain roof after 60-min treatment (E/D = 1.25). However, more free radioactive lysine was found in all brain regions of exposed birds at this time. When the specific radioactivity of the free lysine (dpm/nmol lysine) was measured there were no differences between the two types of birds, indicating that the incorporation difference was not due to a change in precursor radioactivity. The use of 14C-2-aminoisobutyrate confirmed that even with a nonincorporated amino acid pool size changes still occurred. The greater lysine incorporation in anterior forebrain roof was largely restricted to the cytoplasmic soluble fraction.