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Genetic variability in natural populations of Brazilian social Bees. I. isozyme patterns and polymorphism for esterases and total protein

T.M.M.A. Falcão^I; E.P.B. Contel^II

^IDepartamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, 50000 Recife, PE, Brasil
^IIDepartamento de Genética, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, 14049 Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. Send correspondence to E.P.B.C.

ABSTRACT

We present the isoenzyme patterns of carboxylesterases and total proteins for 10 species of Brazilian stingless bees. In four of these species (Melipona compressipes, M. quadrifasciata anthidioides, M. marginata and Plebeia droryana) genetic variability for carboxylesterases was found. Only one species (M.q. anthidioides) is polymorphic for total proteins. The results indicate that, of the six polymorphic esterases detected, five are monomeric and one is dimeric. The genetic control of each of these esterases depends on the activity of two alleles. As far as the polymorphism for total proteins is concerned, it was observed that the two types of homozygotes, the fast one and the slow one, exhibit one activity band, and that the heterozygote also presents one band, whose electrophoretic mobility is intermediate between those shown by the two homozygotes. The characteristic heterozygous phenotype was detected onlyamong females. The lack of detection of an intermediate component among males is in agreement with the haploid genetic constitution of males.

Keywords: Genetic variability; Brazilian social bees; Isozyme; Esterases; Total protein.

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