Translational control in the mealworm, Tenebrio molitor

ONE of the best known examples of translational control in a eukaryotic system comes from studies on the mealworm, Tenebrio molitor , in which control of the synthesis of adult cuticular proteins at the translational level has been proposed 1–7 . From experiments using actinomycin D, it was concluded that the mRNAs for some of the adult cuticular proteins were synthesised by the first day of pupation 1 . To translate these mRNAs in vitro on first day polysomes, however, the tRNA and enzyme from 6 to 7 d pupae were required 2–4 . Ilan et al. gave further evidence for a leucine tRNA which seemed to be controlling the translation of the mRNAs and the synthesis of which seemd to be in the control of juvenile homone 3–7 . But our own studies of Tenebrio , reported here, lead us to question this translational control model.