The monotony of transferrin and esterase electrophoretic patterns in pirarucu, Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) from Santa Cruz Lake, Tefé River, Amazonas, Brazil

A.S. Teixeira
Published: May 07, 2008
Genet. Mol. Res. 7 (2) : 407-416
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4238/vol7-2gmr425

Cite this Article:
A.S. Teixeira (2008). The monotony of transferrin and esterase electrophoretic patterns in pirarucu, Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822) from Santa Cruz Lake, Tefé River, Amazonas, Brazil. Genet. Mol. Res. 7(2): 407-416. https://doi.org/10.4238/vol7-2gmr425

About the Authors
A.S. Teixeira

Corresponding author
A.S. Teixeira
E-mail: saturn@inpa.gov.br

ABSTRACT

Starch gel electrophoresis was used for examining the transferrin gene locus (Tf) and two esterase gene loci (Est-1 and Est-D1) of a pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) population sample collected from Santa Cruz Lake, Tefé River, Amazonas, Brazil. The Tf locus was tentatively classified as being polymorphic, showing two double-banded patterns (Tf ¹² and Tf ²²) of the three theoretically expected ones (Tf¹¹, Tf ¹² and Tf ²²), presumably controlled by two co-dominant alleles, Tf 1 and Tf 2. The monotony detected in pirarucu Tf locus genotypes showing a very high proportion of the double-banded heterozygote pattern Tf 12 (95% of the sampled individuals) may indicate the possibility of their having come from representatives of the same brood begotten by a pair of fish, where a single-banded Tf ¹¹ homozygote pattern male would have crossed with a single-banded Tf²² homozygote pattern female, or vice versa. One zone of electrophoretic activity was detected in esterase, presumably controlled by a monomorphic Est-1 locus with the fixed allele Est-1¹ where all individuals showed the single-banded Est-111 homozygote pattern. Esterase-D also displayed one zone of electrophoretic activity, presumably controlled by a monomorphic Est-D1 locus with a fixed allele Est-D1¹ where all individuals revealed the single-banded Est-D1¹¹ genotype pattern. The monotony comprised by single-banded genotype patterns in both esterase systems tested may also indicate the possibility of the individuals from the sample examined having come from representatives of the same brood begotten by a pair of fish with both the male and female having the same genotypes.