Apidologie 35 (2004) 513-518
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2004038

Genetic characterization of a polymorphic dipeptidyl aminopeptidase of Apis mellifera

Marco Antonio Del Lama^a, Daniele Boraschi^a, Ademilson Espencer Egea Soares^a and Ximena Andrea Duran<sup>b

a</sup>  Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luiz km 235, 13565-905, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
^b  Departamento de Ciências Agropecuárias, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile

(Received 29 September 2003; revised 23 January 2004; accepted 7 February 2004)

Abstract - Dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (DAP) activity towards L-leucylglycine- -naphthylamide (Leu-Gly NA) was characterized in pupae and adult extracts of Apis mellifera. Enzyme activity was more conspicuous in pupae than in adult extracts and it seemed to be concentrated in digestive tract tissues. Two genetically determined electrophoretic variants were observed in honeybee samples from the USA and Chile; in Brazilian Africanized bees, two additional variants were observed. Segregational analyses showed no close linkage between Dap and Est-1, Lap D, Pgm-1, cd, and Ac loci of Apis mellifera.

Key words: dipeptydil aminopeptidase / genetic variation / developmental distribution / tissue distribution / Apis mellifera

Corresponding author: Marco Antonio Del Lama dmdl@power.ufscar.br

© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2004