ELECTROPHORESIS OF HUMAN SALIVA AND IDENTIFICATION OF INHERITED VARIANTS OF AMYLASE ISOZYMES

Summary Saliva specimens have been examined electrophoretically, using polyacrylamide gel slabs. By slicing the stabs in halves, incubating one half-gel in starch followed by Staining with iodine and staining the other half-gel with amido black, amylase isozymes are visualized as bands of enzymic activity, up to 8 in number, 4 of which can usually be seen on amido black staining.Several different isozyme patterns have been observed. The results of pedigree studies suggest simple modes of inheritance of each of the variants. However, because different variants each involve only one or two of the isozymes, it appears that more than one structural gene locus is involved in the production of salivary amylase isozymes.Australian Journal of Experimental Biology and Medical Science (1969) 47, 97–103; doi:10.1038/icb.1969.9