EFFECTS OF FAT BODY FATTY ACIDS ON OVARIAN AND LIVER METABOLISM OF AMBYSTOMA TIGRINUM

1. 1. Fat body fatty acids of paedogenic Ambystoma tigrinum stimulate ovarian oxygen uptake. Intermediate concentrations generally yielded high stimulatory responses. 2. 2. The shorter the chain lenght of the acid the greater the stimulation of ova. Also, within the C18 series the more unsaturated the fatty acid the greater the degree of stimulation. 3. 3. Fatty acids effected only low stimulatory rates of liver minces or were inhibitory. 4. 4. Ova incubated with labelled laurate converted 18·8 per cent of the label to 14CO2 in 4 hr. Liver preparations converted only 1·8 per cent of the label to 14CO2 in the same time. 5. 5. These data suggest that fat body fatty acids may regulate various vitellogenic processes in A. tigrinum. © 1969.