Genetic variability within and among different samples of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) from the cultivars Roxo, Tatu Branco, Tatu Vermelho, Tatuí Vermelho and Tatuí (white skin seeds) was evaluated using polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis by studying leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), aspartate aminotransferase (ATT) and peroxidase (PER) enzymatic systems. Seeds were obtained from local farms located in Marília, Presidente Prudente and São Manuel cities, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Three enzymatic bands called LAP-A, LAP-B and LAP-C were observed in the patterns of the leucine aminopeptidase. Aspartate aminotransferase patterns showed three anodic bands, AAT-A, AAT-B and AAT-C. The peroxidase system showed fifteen bands, including eight anodics (PER-A to PER-H) and seven cathodics (PER-I to PER-P). The peroxidase and leucine aminopeptidase enzymatic systems were not discriminative among the different samples from the five cultivars analysed. Only the aspartate aminotransferase enzymatic system showed one characteristic pattern compound by AAT-B and AAT-C bands. This pattern was observed in Tatu Branco from Presidente Prudente and Tatuí Vermelho from Presidente Prudente and São Manuel.
electrophoresis; isoenzymes; peanut cultivars; genetic variability