Electrophoretic heterogeneity of mouse erythrocyte peptidases

Abstract

Starch gel electrophoresis in conjunction with a specific staining method revealed the occurrence of five distinct peptidases in mouse red blood cells. These enzymes can be distinguished on the basis of substrate specificity and electrophoretic mobility. They have been designated peptidases A, B, C, D, and E to correspond with the nomenclature adopted for human peptidases with which the mouse enzymes appear to be homologous. Genetically determined variants of peptidase C are described. The phenotype Pep C1 occurs in C57BL/Gr mice and the phenotype Pep C2 in CBA/Gr and Strong A/Gr mice. These phenotypes and the presumed heterozygote, Pep C2-1, appear to be due to the occurrence of codominant autosomal alleles which have been designated Pep-C ¹ and Pep-C ². F₁ and F₂ crosses show segregation in the expected Mendelian ratios. F₂ embryos and their placentae show the same electrophoretic pattern for peptidase C. The occurrence of a separate locus controlling the structure of each distinct peptidase is postulated.