Primate red cell enzymes: Glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase and 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase

Glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (E. C.: 1.1.1.49) phenotypes and 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (E. C.: 1.1.1.44) phenotypes were determined by starch‐gel electrophoresis of red cell hemolysates of Galago crassicaudatus subspp., Propithecus verreauxi, Lemur spp., Hapalemur griseus , and Macaca mulatta . A single glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) phenotype was found in each species. A single 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD) phenotype was found in Lemur spp., Hapalemur griseus , and Galago crassicaudatus argentatus . In a group of six Propithecus verreauxi , three 6PGD phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found. Three phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found in 38 G. c. crassicaudatus . The three phenotypes in each species are apparently the products of two codominant autosomal alleles, PGD A and PGD B . The frequency of PGD A in G. c. crassicaudatus is 0.263. A population of 260 free‐ranging macaques displays a polymorphism at the 6PGD locus. Three phenotypes, PGD A, PGD AB, and PGD B, were found. These also appear to be controlled by two codominant autosomal alleles, PGD A and PGD B the frequency of PGD A = 0.913. Additional analysis of three well‐defined troops within the macaque population indicated that there are no significant differences between the troops or within the population at the 6PGD locus.