Protein reserves and muscle constituents of protein-depleted and repleted cocks.

I . Body-weight changes and nitrogen balance were studied, together with the concentration of various nitrogenous muscle components, in adult cocks before and after a 6-day period on a N-free diet and again after a 16-day repletion period on diets supplying various amounts and types of dietary N. 2. In the first experiment a comparison was made during the repletion period between a fish-protein supplement and a supplement of glycine + glutamic acid added to an essential amino acid mixture. 3. During the depletion period the muscle concentration of RNA, DNA and of two transaminase enzymes decreased significantly ; during the repletion period these components increased again significantly, and usually to levels greater than the pre-depletion concentration. There were no differences in these responses obtained during repletion with the two N supplements, although the cocks given the glycine-glutamic acid supplement differed from those receiving fish protein in being in negative N balance and in losing body-weight during the repletion period. 4. In the second experiment one group of depleted cocks was given an essential amino acid mixture alone as the dietary N source and a second group this mixture supplemented by aspartic acid. 5 . A decrease in RNA and in the transaminase enzymes during depletion was followed by a significant increase during repletion, but the increase was greater for the group receiving the aspartic acid than for that receiving only the essential amino acid mixture. 6. It was concluded that adding non-essential amino acids to a maintenance mixture of essential amino acids will permit greater repletion in mature cocks. 7. The fluctuations in concentration of RNA and of certain enzymes with dietary protein supply may well be a controlling factor in the regulation of N losses and accretions during protein deficiency and sufficiency. 8. The relative constancy of muscle DNA in contrast to the fluctuations in other nitrogenous muscle constituents provides additional support for the concept of protein reserves.