Heterogeneity ofEs-1esterases in the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

✍ Scribed by H. Bellen; A. Weghe; Y. Bouquet; L. F. M. Zutphen

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 801 KB
• Volume: 22
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-2928
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00499477

✦ Synopsis

Analysis of the Es-1 system in the rabbit with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) revealed a high degree of individual variation. In the liver the number of esterase bands found in the Es-1 region of the gels ranged from 2 to 16. The results indicate that one locus with three alleles is responsible for all of the esterase bands in the Es-1 region. The most plausible explanation for the observed heterogeneity is that each of the alleles codes for a protein (MW 65,000 +_ 2000) that is changed by posttranslational modifications, thus giving rise to two to five monomeric enzymes with esterase activity. Polymerization of these monomers then results in 1-11 dimers. Based on similarities with mouse Es-9, chromosomal homology between rabbit Es-1 and mouse Es-9 is proposed.