Sex-linked peptidase-1 patterns in Pleurodeles waltlii Michah (Urodele Amphibian): genetic evidence for a new codominant allele on the W sex chromosome and identification of ZZ, ZW and WW sexual genotypes.

In Pleurodeles waltlii, peptidase-1 is a dimeric enzyme which has been shown to be controlled by two codominant alleles, Pep-1A and Pep-1B (Ferrier et al., 1980, 1983), linked respectively to the Z and W sex chromosomes. The enzymatic patterns obtained after starch gel electrophoresis were used routinely to identify the sexual genotypes of animals reared in our laboratory. We describe here three new patterns that were encountered in standard females, in sex-reversed animals and in thelygenous females. The inheritance data indicated the occurrence of a third codominant allele, Pep-1 beta, linked to the W sex chromosome. The discovery of this new allele does not impair peptidase-1 polymorphism as a reliable tool for ZZ, ZW and WW genotype identification.