Horse haemoglobin polymorphism: evidence for two linked non-allelic α -chain genes

Abstract

The inheritance of the α 24 tyrosine and phenylalanine loci in the fast ( α 60 Gln) and slow ( α 60 Lys) α -chains of horse haemoglobin has been studied in a group of Norwegian horses. Evidence is presented which suggests that α -chain production is controlled by two linked non-allelic genes. This tandem repeat of α -chain genes can exist in at least three forms: one giving rise to α -chains with tyrosine at α 24 and glutamine at α 60; the second, to α -chains with tyrosine at α 24 and both glutamine and lysine at α 60; and the third, to α -chains with phenylalanine at α 24 and both glutamine and lysine at α 60.