ELECTROPHORETIC STUDIES ON ENZYMES OF THE SNAIL INTERMEDIATE HOSTS OF SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI FROM ETHIOPIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Enzyme patterns of three populations of Biomphalaria pfeifferi and two populations of Biomphalaria sudanica from Ethiopia were studied by starch gel electrophoresis. The preliminary results indicated that four of the six enzyme systems investigated appeared potentially useful in discriminating between these closely related species. Acid-phosphatase, esternases, 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase showed distinguishing characteristics either in terms of mobilities, or number of bands. The migration of acid-phosphatase was consistently faster in the B.sudanica populations than in any of the B.pfeifferi populations. Unlike acid-phosphatase, intraspecific variation among the populations of a species was observed for the esterases, 3hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase although clear differences were still apparent among these enzymes between B.sudanica and B.pfeifferi. The geographically closely located populations of B.pfeifferi from Wollo exhibited similar enzymatic activities but differed in most enzymes from the geographically separated population from Harar region. Further investigation is recommended to strengthen the present observation