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Utilization of the Carboxyl Carbon of L-Phenylalanine for the Synthesis of the Amino-acids of Silk by Bombyx mori

Abstract

PREVIOUS observations in this laboratory concerning the content of free amino-acids in the silk gland of Bombyx mori seemed to indicate that silk alanine might be derived from phenylalanine. In order to check this possibility, it was decided to inject silkworms with L-phenylalanine labelled with carbon-14 in the carboxyl group, before they spin their cocoons.

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BRICTEUX-GRÉGOIRE, S., VERLY, W. & FLORKIN, M. Utilization of the Carboxyl Carbon of L-Phenylalanine for the Synthesis of the Amino-acids of Silk by Bombyx mori. Nature 177, 1237–1238 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1038/1771237a0

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