Selective changes in methionine tRNA species during development of the posterior silkglands of Bombyx mori

Transfer RNA with methionine acceptor activity isolated from two distinct physiological stages of the developing posterior silkgland of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was examined. The tRNA from both stages could be fractionated on benzoylated DEAE-cellulose colum into two iso-accepting species, tRNA₁ ^Met and tRNA₂ ^Met. The molar quantity per gland of tRNA₁ ^Met species, which was also formylatable with the E. coli enzymes, increased twelve-fold as the gland differentiates to produce a large amount of a single protein, silk-fibroin. Since methionine is not a part of silk-fibroin, the preferential increase in tRNA₁ ^Met content would reflect the increased biological activity and the rapid rate of protein synthesis during the terminal differentiation of posterior silkgland.