ISOENZYME PATTERNS OF GLUCOSE-6-PHOSPHATE-DEHYDROGENASE, MALATE-DEHYDROGENASE AND LACTATE-DEHYDROGENASE IN BABESIA-RODHAINI AND BABESIA-MICROTI

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and their isoenzyme pattern s in B. rodhaini (BR) and B. microti (BM), the two major causative spe cies of murine babesiosis, were examined. G6PD and LDH activities were higher in BR than those in BM, whereas MDH activity was lower in BR t han that in BM. No differences were observed between BR and BM in the mobility of isoenzyme bands of G6PD and MDH. On LDH isoenzyme pattern, at least 5 bands were detected in BR, while only one band in BM. Sinc e each subunit of LDH is known to be coded by different gene, these re sults suggests that BR and BM are able to be differentiated geneticall y.