Studies of the inheritance of bovine serum transferrins

Abstract
SUMMARY: 1. The transferrins in two cattle herds were studied by means of starch gel electrophoresis. Three phenotypes were observed in a Hereford herd and six in a Hybrid herd comprised of Galloway, Aberdeen Angus and Charolais breeds.2. Gene frequencies were calculated for each herd. Great variation was found in the frequency of the transferrin alleles between breed and source within the Hybrid herd and between the Hybrid and Hereford herds. The frequencies of the transferrin alleles found in the cows in the Hereford herd were TfA= 0·467 and TfD= 0·533; those found in the cows in the Hybrid herd were TfA= 0·382, TfD= 0·506 and TfE= 0·112.3. Progeny data were in general agreement with the three-allele theory of inheritance, although the data suggested that offspring in the Hybrid herd carrying the TfEallele occurred at a lower frequency than expected.4. The possible relation of transferrin type to embryonic mortality was studied. The results were in general agreement with those of other workers, indicating a possible interaction between the genotypes of the foetus and dam.5. The characteristics of the transferrin types and the postulated three-allele genetic mechanism for the control of the observed variation are discussed.