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Isoenzymes of human lice: Pediculus humanus and P. capitis
Author(s) -
Amevigbe M. D. D.,
Ferrer A.,
Champorie S.,
Monteny N.,
Deunff J.,
RichardLenoble D.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2915.2000.00260.x
Subject(s) - biology , allele , esterase , genetics , phosphoglucomutase , isozyme , locus (genetics) , veterinary medicine , gene , enzyme , biochemistry , medicine
Summary Human lice (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae) from Africa, America and Europe were electrophoresed for 28 enzymes, with special interest in metabolic factors likely to be involved with insecticide resistance. Zymogram profiles of the body louse ( Pediculus humanus L. from France and U.S.A.) and the head louse ( P. capitis DeGeer from France, Madagascar, Mali & Senegal) were compared. Only two enzymes, phosphoglucomutase (Pgm) and esterase 3 (Est‐3), showed electrophoretic variation. In our starch gel electrophoresis conditions, P. humanus showed three electromorphs of Pgm migrating anodally 6, 11 and 16 mm (designated alleles a, b, c , respectively). Of the putative Pgm alleles, b and c occurred in all samples of both species of lice, whereas allele a was found only in P. humanus lab strain from U.S.A. Esterase 3 had four electromorphs migrating 23, 26, 30 and 35 mm (designated alleles a, b, c and d ). Among putative Est alleles, a was found only in P. capitis from Bamako (all 14 specimens aa homozygotes), allele d was found only in P. capitis from Dakar (39% frequency), whereas Est‐3 alleles b and c showed apparently balanced polymorphism in all samples of both P. humanus and P. capitis except that from Bamako. Despite the limited amount of isoenzyme variation detected (only 2/31 polymorphic loci), divergences of Est‐3 and Pgm among Pediculus populations may be relevant to their biosystematics and resistance.