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Genetic variability in natural populations of Brazilian social bees: III. eletrophoretic data for ME, GPD, SOD and IDH

T.M.M.A. Falcão^I; E.P.B. Contel^II

ABSTRACT

Electrophoretic data for ME, GPD, SOD and IDH are presented for ten species of Brazilian stingless bees, and two new polymorphisms are described. Of the enzymes studied, only SOD and IDH were polymorphic. Three species, Partamona (Partamona) hellen, Scaptotrigona bipunctata and Friesella schrottkyi, showed allele variation for IDH, whereas only one species, Melipona quadrifasciata anthiodioides, was polymorphic for SOD. The electrophoretic profile for the SOD heterozygote suggests that this protein has a dimeric structure and that genetic control of this protein is exerted by two alleles at one locus, whose products must be quantitatively identical and combined at random. The homozygotes for IDH exhibited three activity bands, whereas the heterozygote showed five components. The three-banded patterns were observed both in males and females, whereas the five-banded pattern was detected only among females. A hypothesis is raised to explain the genetic control of IDH in these organisms.

Keywords: Brazilian social bees; Electrophoretic data.

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