Protein metabolism in calotes versicolor (Daud) exposed to various stresses.

Protein and amino acid contents of liver of normal (untreated) adult male garden lizard, Calotes versicolor, were quantitatively determined by the method of Lowry et al. and ninhydrin reaction, respectively, and compared with the protein and amino acid contents in the liver of adult male garden lizards exposed to cold, heat, UV- and gamma-radiations. With a decrease in protein contents, a simultaneous increase in the amino acid contents was observed. The decrease in protein content was 80, 60, 30 and 20% after exposure to cold, heat, UV- and gamma-radiations, respectively. Consequently, the increase in amino acid content was 57, 40, 20 and 5% after exposure to cold, heat, UV- and gamma-radiations, respectively.