Electrophoretic Studies of Insect Esterases1

Abstract

Zone electrophoresis in acrylamide gel was used to separate the soluble esterases from homogenates of 6 insect species. Esterases were classified according to their response to certain organophosphate and carbamate compounds. The following esterases were found: 10 aliphatic esterases (Ali-E's) in the black blister beetle, Epicauta pennsylvanica (De Geer), and the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.) ; 8 Ali-E's in the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.) ; 6 Ali-E's in the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) ; 9 Ali-E's in the yellow-striped armyworm, Prodenia ornithogalli Guenée; and 6 Ali-E's and 2 arylesterases in the bollworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie).