Comparison of isoenzymes of some species of the subgenus schizotrypanum from bats by isoelectrofocusing.

Culture forms of bat-trypanosomes of the species T. dionisii, T. vespertilionis and T.c. marinkellei were compared isoenzymatically by isoelectrofocusing. The enzymes tested were: nonspecific esterase (NSE, E.C.3.1.1.), phosphoglucomutase (PGM, E.C. 2.7.5.1), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD, E.C. 1.1.1.49), glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI, E.C. 5.3.1.9), malate dehydrogenase (MDH, E.C. 1.1.1.37), alcohol dehydrogenase (NADP+) (ADH, E.C. 1.1.1.2). Their enzyme types were related to those of T. cruzi. The comparison of enzyme patterns of the six enzymes has shown that each species was characterized by species-specific enzyme profiles. Among the stocks of the European species, T. dionisii, and T. vespertilionis, variations of the enzyme patterns of PGM, G-6-PD and GPI suggesting that the final status of this subspecies is probably not yet established. In relation to T. cruzi it has been found that T. dionisii showed identical enzyme profiles with group II of T. cruzi. For T. vespertilionis no enzyme types identical with T. cruzi were detectable. T.c. marinkellei showed only identical enzyme patterns to T. cruzi-group I by the enzymes NSE and GPI.