Synthesis and migration of proteins in the cells of the exocrine pancreas as revealed by specific activity determination from radioautographs.

Radioautographs of pancreatic acinar cells were prepared in rats and mice sacrificed at various times after injection of leucine-, glycine-, or methionine-H(3). Measurements of radioactivity concentration (number of silver grains per unit area) and relative protein concentration (by microspectrophotometry of Millon-treated sections) yielded the mean specific activity of proteins in various regions of the acinar cells. The 2 to 5 minute radioautographs as well as the specific activity time curves demonstrate protein synthesis in ergastoplasm. From there, most newly synthesized proteins migrate to and accumulate in the Golgi zone. Then they spread to the whole zymogen region and, finally, enter the excretory ducts. An attempt at estimating turnover times indicated that two classes of proteins are synthesized in the ergastoplasm: "sedentary" with a slow turnover (62.5 hours) and "exportable" with rapid turnover (4.7 minutes). It is estimated that the exportable proteins spend approximately 11.7 minutes in the Golgi zone where they are built up into zymogen granules, and thereafter 36.0 minutes as fully formed zymogen granules, before they are released outside the acinar cell as pancreatic secretion. The mean life span of a zymogen granule in the cell is estimated to be 47.7 minutes.