Primate red cell enzymes: glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase.

Abstract

AbstractGlucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (E. C.: 1.1.1.49) phenotypes and 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (E. C.: 1.1.1.44) phenotypes were determined by starch‐gel electrophoresis of red cell hemolysates of Galago crassicaudatus subspp., Propithecus verreauxi, Lemur spp., Hapalemur griseus, and Macaca mulatta. A single glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) phenotype was found in each species. A single 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) phenotype was found in Lemur spp., Hapalemur griseus, and Galago crassicaudatus argentatus. In a group of six Propithecus verreauxi, three 6PGD phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found. Three phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found in 38 G. c. crassicaudatus. The three phenotypes in each species are apparently the products of two codominant autosomal alleles, PGDA and PGDB. The frequency of PGDA in G. c. crassicaudatus is 0.263. A population of 260 free‐ranging macaques displays a polymorphism at the 6PGD locus. Three phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found. These also appear to be controlled by two codominant autosomal alleles, PGDA and PGDB the frequency of PGDA = 0.913. Additional analysis of three well‐defined troops within the macaque population indicated that there are no significant differences between the troops or within the population at the 6PGD locus.