According to the ratchet mechanism hypothesis, deleterious mutations should accumulate in clonal genomes of unisexual fish of the genus Poeciliopsis. This study defines one such mutant, a silent carboxylesterase allele (ES-5 degrees) which is found in the heterozygous condition in a particular population of P. monacha-occidentalis. An antiserum to purified Poeciliopsis carboxylesterase cross-reacts with the gene product of the Es-5 degrees allele upon immunoelectrophoresis. This finding of cross-reacting material associated with the Es-5 degrees allele provides a useful marker for the breeding of a carboxylesterase deficient strain.
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Spinella et al. (1982) studied this question.