Differences in tissue expressions of enzyme activities in interspecific sunfish (Centrarchidae) hybrids and their backcross progeny.

The extent of naturally occurring variations of enzyme locus expression was determined for three tissues (liver, muscle, and eye) in two species of sunfish (Centrarchidae), the green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) and the redear sunfish (L. microlophus). The genetic basis for species differences in tissue enzyme specific activities of malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37), lactate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.27), phosphoglucomutase (EC 2.7.5.1), and glucosephosphate isomerase (EC 5.3.1.9) was investigated by determining enzyme specific activities in the tissues of the reciprocal F1 hybrids and of their backcross progenies. The specific activities for most enzymes in hybrids were intermediate between those of the parental species. Significant differences in enzyme specific activity were detected among the F1 progeny as well as those of backcrosses. Variations in specific activity levels in one tissue were often independent of variations in specific activities in a different tissue. However, the changes in the specific activities of different enzymes within the same tissue were often positively correlated. The tissue glucosephosphate isomerase activity differences appear not to be due to different functional contributions of the glucosephosphate isomerase allelic isozymes. Cluster analysis of distributions of specific activities revealed no simple Mendelian pattern of inheritance for control of tissue enzyme activity. Our results suggest a polygenic control of tissue enzyme specific activity levels.