Glycogen metabolism in a sub-tropical, social bird: White-headed Jungle Babbler during breeding and non-breeding states. - B. Bharucha, G.S. Padate. - Berkut. 14 (2). 2005. - P. 234-242.
The energy required by different tissues, depending on their role show fluctuations in the levels of metabolites and enzymes as the bird undergoes adaptive changes during its breeding activities. Certain enzymes viz. Glycogen phosphorylase (GP), Glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and ATPase involved in carbohydrate metabolism and energy releasing processes along with glycogen are studied in extra-gonadal tissues. GP a catalytic enzyme in glycogenolysis increases with increased glycogenolysis. The hepatic as well as intestinal glycogen levels in the breeders is high, correspondingly the GP activity is also high in them indicating that the enzyme activity is modulated parallel to the metabolic load. In non-breeders, it shows decrease in liver and intestine but increase in kidney as is reflected by the increased GP activity. G6Pase plays an important role in glucose release from liver and kidney and in Jungle Babblers it is reflected by non-significant lower G6Pase level in breeders and helper females and accumulation of glycogen too. The progressive increase in liver glycogen with concomitant decrease in hepatic G6Pase activity. ATPase and SDH both are involved in cell metabolism wherein ATPase carries the catabolic reaction and SDH keeps up the supply of ATP molecules. The non-significantly high levels of hepatic and intestinal SDH and ATPase is seen in breeders compared to non-breeders suggest an active synthesis as well as hydrolysis of ATP for various energy costing reproductive activities. Thus, the Jungle Babbler, a social breeder, individuals of the flock share all the reproductive activities. [English].
Key words: White-headed Jungle Babbler, Turdoides striatus, GP, G6Pase, SDH, ATPase.
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