Abstract
Pupae obtained from house fly larvae ( Musca domestica L.) reared on aseptic synthetic diets containing alanine-U-14C, phenylalanine-U-14C, glutamate-U-14C, leucine-U-14C, or methionine-G-3H contained radioactivity in both fatty acids (84–95%) and unsaponifiable lipids (5–16%). As a lipid precursor, leucine and glutamate were the best and methionine, alanine, and phenylalanine the least utilized. Fatty acids found were myristic (1.7%), palmitic (28.7%), palmitoleic (39.7%), stearic (trace), and oleic (29.9%). Distribution of radioactivity in unsaponifiable lipids were mainly hydrocarbons (73%). A new biochemical difference between the house fly and other animals is reported, and their ability to convert amino acids into lipids and energy production is discussed.
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