Insulin receptors in embryo and extraembryonic membranes of early somite rat conceptus.

Intact rat conceptuses were cultured from day 9.5 of gestation on. Individual components of the conceptus, including the embryo and the extraembryonic membranes (consisting of yolk sac, amnion, and allantoic placenta), were isolated and examined for insulin receptors at two time points during organogenesis: day 10.4 of gestation (approximately 10-12 somites) when the yolk sac had become vascularized and just before closure of the anterior neuropore and day 11.6 (approximately 27-31 somites) when vascularization of the chorioallantoic placenta had been established and the neural tube was closed completely. The studies were designed to provide inferential insights about the possible role of insulin in embryogenesis during different phases of nutrient delivery. Active insulin degradation occurred with embryo as well as membrane homogenates during incubation at 37 degrees C. Degradation was markedly reduced at 4 degrees C, and binding of 125I-labeled insulin by embryo or membrane homogenates prepared on day 10.4 or 11.6, respectively, of gestation approached equilibrium after a 20-h incubation at this temperature. Values for the specific binding of tracer (0.4 ng/ml) or carrier (10.4 ng/ml) insulin by embryo and membrane homogenates were the same on days 10.4 and 11.6; specific binding was significantly greater with preparations of membranes than embryo at both time points. Full binding curves on day 11.6 showed similar affinities for insulin by embryo and membranes (Ke = 1.2 X 10(8)/M and 4.6 X 10(8)/M, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)