Genetic variation of a codominantly inherited esterase, designated ES-26, has been discovered in the house mouse using isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels. The ES-26A phenotype (pI 8.2) was found in C57BL/10Sn. A/J showed the ES-26B phenotype (pI 7.8-7.9). A third phenotype, ES-26C (double-banded: pI's 8.1 and 8.3), was observed in SJL/J. ES-26 was detected only in liver, stomach, and small intestine. The enzyme was shown to be controlled by the presumed structural locus Es-26, located on chromosome 3. From a four-point cross, the gene order Car-2--6.2 +/- 2.7--Es-16--21.0 +/- 4.5--Es-26--13.6 +/- 3.8--Amy-1 was established.

This study describes the biochemical characterization, genetic variation, and linkage of a codominantly inherited murine esterase, termed ES-18. The enzyme was identified by isoelectric focusing of supernatants obtained after centrifugation of tissue homogenates and subsequent staining for esterase using either alpha-naphthyl acetate or 4-methylumbelliferyl elaidate as substrate. ES-18 exhibited an organ-specific variation of the intensity pattern of bands as seen in kidney, spleen, and macrophages, respectively. Its activity was highly sensitive to inhibition by 1 mmol.liter-1 p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate but was resistant to bis-p-nitrophenyl phosphate. Four allozymes could be distinguished in kidney supernatants obtained from the inbred strains C57BL/10Sn (ES-18A), MOLF/Ei (ES-18B), WLL/BrA (ES-18C), and CAST/Ei (ES-18D). The enzyme is shown to be controlled by a structural locus, Es-18, which resides on chromosome 19. The gene order Ly-1 - Got-1 - 4.7 +/- 1.6 - Es-18 is suggested.

Esterase-16, an esterase present in lung and other tissues of the laboratory rat, has been characterized by its biochemical properties (electrophoretic mobility, substrate pattern, sensitivity to inhibitors) and genetic variation in 107 inbred strains and substrains including 14 RI strains. It was classified as a carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1). The phenotype ES-16A (BN/Han and 63 other strains) was defined as a narrow electrophoretic band migrating between ES-1A and ES-13A, ES-16B (LEW/Han and 42 other strains) exhibited the same electrophoretic mobility as ES-16A but was distinguished by its extremely weak activity. Segregation of ES-16 in RI strains and backcrosses indicated linkage to linkage group V (LGV). The Es-16 locus was tentatively placed into esterase cluster 2 and homology with Es-7 of the house mouse is proposed.