Amino acid uptake in the developing chick embryo heart. The effect of insulin on alpha-aminoisobutyric acid accumulation.

1. The uptake of (14)C-labelled alpha-aminoisobutyric acid by 5-day-old chick embryo hearts was investigated in vitro, together with the effect of insulin thereon. 2. At equilibrium the distribution ratio of this amino acid analogue between intracellular and extracellular water attained values greater than unity. Insulin enhanced the rate of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid accumulation and increased the value of its final concentration in the cell water. 3. The rate of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid accumulation and the effect of insulin on it were independent of the presence of glucose in the incubation medium. Bovine and chicken insulin were equally effective, and the action of the hormone was specifically prevented by an anti-insulin serum but not by puromycin. 4. A linear relationship was observed between the intracellular accumulation of the analogue and the logarithm of the insulin concentration in the range 50muunits-100m-units/ml. of incubation medium. 5. Evidence was obtained for the occurrence of two different transport processes for alpha-aminoisobutyric acid in the chick embryo heart: one subject to saturation and one that was not saturated by reasonable concentrations of the analogue. Insulin increased the effectiveness of the saturable component, increasing the maximal velocity of transport without altering the concentration for half-maximal velocity of transport, and decreased the contribution of the non-saturable component.