Evidence for the lack of lysosomal involvement in the age-related slowing of protein breakdown in Turbatrix aceti.

Lysosomal proteinase activity increases, whereas the rate of protein degradation decreases in the aged free-living nematode, Turbatrix aceti. The lysosomotropic agents, chloroquine and ammonium chloride have no effect on the rate of protein degradation in either young or old organisms. These findings lend strong support to the idea of a non-lysosomal site of endogenous protein degradation under basal metabolic conditions.