Genetic control of esterase isoenzymes in rye (Secale cereale L.).

Using the method of isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide flat gels rye inbred lines of different origin are genetically analyzed for their esterase patterns. Evidence is found for the existence of at least 10 esterase loci, Est 1-Est 10, encoding for up to five different allelic esterases per locus. With the exception of Est 10, all loci exhibit null alleles. At the Est 10 locus, regular patterns of multiple bands adjacent to the realized Est 10 alleles are observed. The mechanisms causing the multiple bands are still unknown.