Relationship between the behavioral type of American mink males and the activity of digestive enzymes

Abstract

The domestication of the American mink (Neovison vison) leads to the manifestation of such a trait as “tame” behavior. The selection of animals on this basis seems to be very attractive from the standpoint of commodity production. Since work with predators is rather complicated, selection for the “tame” behavior of animals seems relevant. Assuming that the genes that control behavior, due to their pleiotropic action, can be involved in the synthesis of digestive enzymes, which can lead to a decrease in productivity characteristics. In this respect, experiments were carried out to determine the enzymatic activity of proteases, lipases, and α-amylases in aggressive and tame animals. It has been established that the activity of proteases and lipases is higher in aggressive lines of American mink males than in the tame ones, while the amylolytic activity in tame animals is higher than in theaggressive ones.