GENETIC-POLYMORPHISM OF RABBIT (ORYCTOLAGUS-CUNICULUS) TISSUE ACID-PHOSPHATASES (ACP2 AND ACP3)

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) red cell and tissue acid phosphatases w ere studied by means of horizontal starch gel electrophoresis and isoe lectric focusing followed by enzyme blotting. Red cell acid phosphatas e 1 (ACP1) is monomorphic while tissue acid phosphatase 2 (ACP2) is po lymorphic in a wild rabbit population, with two alleles: ACP21 (0.96) and ACP22 (0.04). A third locus homologous of human acid phosphatase 3 (ACP3) is characterized by the presence of three alleles (ACP31, A CP32 and ACP3*3). ACP3''1 is the most common allele and was detected in all populations, ACP32 was found in domestic breeds and in a wild population from Southern France, whereas ACP33 is typical of Portugue se wild rabbits. The geographical distribution of ACP3''2 and ACP33 i s in agreement with the subspecific level of differentiation of the ra bbit species in O. cuniculus cuniculus and O. c. algirus. The comparat ive study of the acid phosphatase activity in red cells of several mam malian species, including humans, suggests that ACP3 activity in eryth rocytes exists only in rabbit. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.