Studies on serum esterase in herring and sprat

Abstract

1. Herring and sprat serum esterase has been studied by combined starch and agar gel electrophoresis at pH 9.0. Both strong and weak bands which represesented esterase activity occurred in both species. 2. Most herring specimens contained one strong component of intermediate anodic mobility. Two strong components of higher and two of lower anodic mobility occurred at low frequencies. A hypothesis of genetical control by one gene controlling each of the components is proposed. 3. Maximum six weak bands of herring serum esterase were found. Considerable variations among specimens occurred in these bands. No theory of genetic control of the total variations can be given at present, but two codominant alleles may be responsible for the variation in two of the weak bands. 4. The intraspecific variations in sprat serum esterase were complicated, and it was difficult to classify the specimens into well defined groups on basis of these variations. A hypothesis of control by two allelic genes of the variations in two of the components is introduced. 5. Frequency variations among some of the samples of both species were indicated.