TISSUE SPECIFIC ESTERASE ISOZYME VARIATION IN FOUR Punctius SPECIES

Electrphoretic banding pattern of esterase isozymes was studied on 7.5% polyacrylamide gels from ten different tissues of four Punctius species (P. sarana, P. sophore, P. conchonius and P. ticto). All the studied species showed five esterase bands except P. ticto that lacked Est-5. Maximum number of bands was observed in heart (80%), liver (75%), pelvic muscle (73.75%), eye (70%) and brain (68.75%) of four mentioned species whereas, minimum in anterior muscle (47.5%). Same tissue of different species showed both similarity and dissimilarity in terms of allelic expression. As for example, four esterase bands were found in the liver of P. conchonius (Est-1, Est-3, Est-4 and Est-5) and P. ticto (Est-1, Est-2, Est-3 and Est-4) while two and three bands in P. sophore (Est-3 and Est-4) and P. sarana (Est-2, Est-3 and Est-4) respectively. On the other hand, allele of certain locus also showed tissue and species specific expression with varied type of intensity. For example, Est-4 was common in the liver of all the species and its intensity varied from faint to deep whereas, deep stained Est-5 was confined to the same tissue of P. conchonius only.