Rabbit linkage group VIII: The alleles of the prt gene

Abstract

The prt gene which is linked to the rabbit immunoglobulin kappa-light chain gene, ab, has two phenotypes, PRT+ and PRT-. These phenotypes can be distinguished only when serum proteins from different rabbits are separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The serum protein profiles for PRT+ rabbits show a band that is located on the anodal side of transferrin. This band is missing in the serum profiles of PRT- rabbits. However, the PRT protein is present in these rabbits. An antiserum which reacts with PRT from PRT+ rabbits detects two electrophoretic variants of PRT which are located in areas of the polyacrylamide gel obscured by other serum proteins. These results and other suggest that the prt gene has three alleles, the prta allele encoding the protein found in PRT+ rabbits and the prtb and prtc alleles encoding the two electrophoretic variants found in PRT- rabbits.

Rabbit plasma pretransferrin system: evidence for three new alleles

“…Genetic polymorphism of rabbit plasma pretransferrin (Prt) has previously been reported. This protein has a mobility slightly more anodal to transferrin in alkaline polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and it is clearly visible by using a general-protein stain (Usher et al 1978(Usher et al , 1983Juneja et al 1984). In the above studies, three codominant Prt alleles were reported.…”

“…A-B 3.5mrn; A-C 5.0mm; A-D 8.5mm; A-E 104Ornm; and A-F 15 The Prt protein, by virtue of its high degree of polymorphism and easy phenotyping method, is thus a useful genetic marker for studying breed relationships and linkage relations in rabbit. The Prt gene has previously been assigned to linkage group VIII of rabbits (Usher et al 1983). The isolation and characterization of rabbit Prt protein was recently reported by Usher et al (1984).…”

“…The present method for studying Prt polymorphism is better than those described earlier in the literature. In the method of Usher et al (1983), a specific antiserum against Prt was used to do the typing. In the method of Juneja et al (1984), two-dimensional (2D) agarose-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used.…”