Electrophoretic Comparison of the Malic Enzyme in Japanese Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Larvae

Abstract
Interspecific and intergeneric comparisons of malic enzyme (ME) banding patterns of Japanese mosquito larvae were carried out by horizontal electrophoresis in 5% polyacrylamide gel. Among a total of 56 species and subspecies belonging to 10 genera and 18 subgenera examined, narrow single-banded and monomorphic patterns were commonly observed; in some species two- or three-banded patterns also were detected. Most species showed similar ME band mobilities of Rf 42 to 47. An exceptionally fast-moving band was observed in Anopheles lindesayi japonicus Yamada (Rf 63). All Culex larvae examined possessed a common enzyme activity band with Rf 45. Orthopodomyia anopheloides (Giles) had the slowest band (Rf 33), followed by Malaya genurostris Leicester (Rf 34) and Topomyia yanbarensis Miyagi (Rf 38). Removal of guts from a larva and homogenization in 2-mercaptoethanol intensified ME activity bands in many species.

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