A GENETICALLY DETERMINDED VARIANT OF A-SUBUNIT OF LACTIC DEHYDROGENASE IN DEER MOUSE

Analysis by starch gel electrophoresis of erythrocyte hemolysates and brain extracts indicated that an electrophoretic variant of lactic dehydrogenase discovered in Peromyscus involves the A subunit. The tetramers containing the variant molecules migrate more rapidly than the normal ones, and the staining reactions suggested a reduced enzymatic activity. Comparisons of the erythrocyte LDH activity of normal and homozygous variant animals indicated that the variant enzyme is intrinsically less active than the normal. The variant is inherited as an autosomal codominant and appears to confer no selective disadvantage. © 1969 Plenum Publishing Corporation.