Studies of transferrins in serum and milk of Swedish cattle

Abstract

The transferrins in Swedish cattle were studied with the starch gel method. A continuous tris buffer system was used. With sera from young calves each transferrin allele appeared to determine four fractions. Among some animals from Norway two seemed to have a transferrin type not earlier described for the European cattle breeds. The frequencies of the transferrin alleles found in a bull sample from the Swedish Red-and-White breed were TfA= 0·53, TfD= 0·18 and TfE= 0·29. Family data were in good agreement with the theory of inheritance. The transferrin types were used in parentage testing and a formula is given for the possibility of making exclusions. The value of the transferrin types in diagnosis of zygosity in cattle twins is shown. The transferrins seem to occur in bovine milk also.