Erythrocyte esterase forms controlled by multiple alleles in the deer mouse.

TUDIES on the inheritance of nonspecific esterase forms of the house mouse (Mus musculus) have recently been reported from the serum (POPP and POPP 1962; PETRAS 1963), kidney ( RUDDLE and RODERICK 1965), and erythrocytes (PELZER 1965). A brief report (SHAW 1964) indicated inheritable esterase differences in kidney homogenates of the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus, and two rare genetically determined variants of an acetylesterase have been dcscribed from human red blood cells (TASHIAN and SHAW 1962; TASHIAN 1965). This paper presents the results of a study of the inheritance of certain erythrocyte esterases in the woodland deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus gracilis (Le Conte) . A preliminary report has been published ( RANDERSON 1964).