Linkage studies on an esterase locus in the mosquito Aedes togoi

An electrophoretic survey of esterases in 7 wild-type and 10 mutant strains of the mosquito Aedes (Finlaya) togoi was undertaken using thin-layer agar gels. Three esterases (Designated the Est-1, Est-2, and Est-3 loci in decreasing order of electrophoretic mobility) could be detected from fourth-instar larvae, pupae, and 2- to 5-day-old adults. Homogenates of the larvae gave the most intensely stained bands in the gels, especially for Est-3. The three esterases were designated carboxylesterases based on their responses to the two esterase inhibitors, eserine and paraoxon (diethyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate). The Est-3 locus was found to have alleles including at least one null. The linkage results of six backcrosses suggest that Est-3 is located only 5-8 map units from the sex allele (m) and the gene arrangement is Est-3-m-s (straw colored larva) in linkage group I.