The secretion of the eggshell of Schistocerca gregaria, analysis of the kinetics of secretion in vitro by light and electron microscope autoradiography.

The secretion of the 2 main layers (endochorion and exochorion) of the eggshell of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria was investigated using light and electron microscope autoradiography. Follicles undergoing endochorion secretion were labelled using a 3 min 'pulse' of [3H]leucine in vitro followed by a 0-115 min non-radioactive 'chase'. Immediately after the pulse the silver grains were distributed over the cytoplasm and organelles including rough endoplasmic reticulum, while by 2 and 5 min Golgi bodies contained radioactivity. By 12 min from the beginning of the chase the cell apex containing small secretory vesicles was labelled. By 20 min most of the silver grains were over the endochorion. The half-transport time (t50) was 14--15 min (from mid pulse), the lag time was 9--10 min and the percentage transport rate was 14--15% per min. When a 3 min pulse of [3H]galactose was used to label exochorion precursors, the shorter t50 (11 min) and the clumped grain distribution in light microscope autoradiographs after 0-min chase suggested that galactose was incorporated in Golgi bodies. The secretion of exochorion precursors appears to occur at a similar rate to that of endochorion precursors (approximately 15% per min). The results indicate that the follicle cells are among the fastest secreting cells.