title: African dung beetle Onthophagus gazella Fabricius (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) esterase isozymes.
abstract: African beetles Onthophagus gazella from both sexes were analyzed by electrophoresis for an investigation of esterase isozymes using alpha-naphthyl propionate and methylumbelliferyl propionate as substrates. Only one of the esterases (Est. 6) reacted with one of the substrates (alpha-naphthyl propionate). Six areas of activity were found, two of them being polymorphic (Est. 3 and Est. 4). For presence of Est. 3, 337 individuals were analyzed, including descendants of 32 controlled crossings: two alleles were identified, whose frequencies are Est. 3A = 0.447 and Est. 3B = 0.553. The population is in equilibrium for this locus (qui-square = 4.18; 0.2 > P > 0.1). For Est. 4, 338 individuals, descendants of 32 controlled crossings, were analysed. In this case, three alleles were identified whose frequencies are: Est. 4A = 0.277; Est. 4B = 0.661; and Est. 4C = 0.062. The population is not in equilibrium for this locus (qui-square = 40.259; p < 0.001). Two esterases were detected only in the pupal stage and another one in larvae. Of the 23 loci analyzed in these insects up to now, 3 are polymorphic (13%), which indicates very low variability in the population here studied.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine of the Triângulo Mineiro, Praça Manoel Terra, Uberaba, MG, Brazil. martins@mednet.com.br
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: E P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Contel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D004950:Esterases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D014644:Genetic Variation; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D004950:Esterases