DETECTION OF ESTERASE PATTERNS ANDONTOGENIC GENETIC VARIABILITY IN HONEYBEES Apis mel/ifera L.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Economic Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Damascus University, Syria,

2 Department of Economic Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt.

3 Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt.

Abstract

Ontogenic variations of esterase isozyrnes and biochemical genetic
polymorphisms were investigated on the Syrian and Carniolan races and their
hybrid genotypes. Healthy and infested samples with Varroa mites showed similar
pattern for the same developmental stage. Banding pattern differs according to
developmental stages. where positive bands which were present in larval and pupal
stages disappeared in the adult stage.
Comparisons between the two races and their F1 hybnd p-oved the
presence of considerable pattern variations The Carnlolan race preserued high
levels of electrophoretic variability in all developmental stages and under dlf~erent
conditions of Varroa infestation. compared to the Synan race and hybrid genotype
Esterase patterns appeared along different stages in the Syrian race and hybrid
genotype. Esterase patterns detected in the different stages of the SY"8n, and
Carniolan races and their hybrid genotypes showed that the great majority of
isozyrnes were monomorphic.