Enzyme polymorphism in two Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) lines with different concentrations of plasma lactate ; Dviejų japoniškųjų putpelių linijų, pasižyminčių skirtinga laktato koncentracija kraujyje izofermentų polimorfizmas

Japanese Quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) lines selected for different physiological traits such as metabolic rate are expected to be more suitable for experiments than random populations. The general level of lactate in a randomly bred Japanese Quail population varies within the limits 3-6 mM•L-¹. Breeding experiments were performed in order to reduce the variation of plasma lactate. The two quail lines, exhibiting low (L line with 5.281-5.840 mM•L-¹) and high (H line with 3.157-4.529 mM•L-¹) plasma lactate concentration were divergently selected. During the selection process, genetic variation in loci for liver and heart tissue malate dehydrogenase (Mdh), malic enzyme (Me), esterase (Es) as well as for plasma glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-Pdh) and common serum proteins was investigated in individual animals. A phenotypic difference in the spectrum of MDH isozymes was detected between the two quail lines L and H. Our data suggest that the genetic constitution of quail lines and the control population significantly differ.