Protein synthesis by the accessory gland of male house cricket, Acheta domesticus

The accessory gland in male Acheta domesticus consists of several hundred tubules of variable length. The secretory cells of the tubules, which are very richly endowed with rough endoplasmic reticulum, surround a central cavity filled with product proteins. The proteins produced by the gland have been characterized by SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gradient centrifugation. They constitute a complex mixture with a wide range in molecular weights and charge properties. The mRNAs for the proteins appear to be of long half‐life. Extensive regional specialization exists in the gland with respect to the types of export proteins formed. For the total gland, the acquisition of the full range of protein synthetic capacity is triggered by the imaginal molt, while the differentiation and growth of the tubules can continue in the absence of the molt.