The Application of a Numerical Method for Taxonomy From Isoenzymatical Results : Coefficient of Parental Correlation Between Schistosoma Species

Using enzyme characters by starch gel electrophoresis, we have applied the method of Numerical Taxonomy to the Schistosomes isolate/stocks. Seven isoenzymes (Phosphoglucomutase = PGM; Phospho glucose isomerase = PGI; Hexokinase = HK; Mannose phosphate isomerase = MPI; Alcaline phosphatase = ALP; Malic enzyme = ME and Malate deshydrogenase = MDH) of 15 isolats/stocks are examined. Twenty six electromorphs, corresponding to equivalent number of isoenzymes, are identified by this method, and then grouped into 8 zymodemes. These zymodemes were used as Operational Taxonomy Unit (OTU) and compared pairwise, using these indice and it forms the basis for the taxonomic scheme elaborated. The final relationships are exhibited in the agglomerative dendrogram, constructed using complete linkage. The separation into phenons is confirmed by correspondence analysis. It is concluded that the original lines fall into four groups correspondings to the complexes Schistosoma mansoni, S. bovis, S. curasonni and S. haematobium. The phenons are recognised by Numerical Taxonomy, can be equated with the taxa of traditional systematics