Multiple restriction fragment length polymorphisms associated with the Vc determinant of the MN blood group-related chimpanzee V-A-B-D system.

Twelve restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) were detected in common chimpanzee using two restriction enzymes (HindIII and MspI) and four DNA probes to the coding regions of the human glycophorin A (GPA) and glycophorin B (GPB) genes and their 3'-untranslated regions. Seven RFLPs correlated with red cell expression of the Vc determinant of the MN blood group-related V-A-B-D system and five RFLPs correlated with nonexpression of this antigen. Animals heterozygous for the V allele that encodes the Vc determinant had all 12 polymorphic restriction fragments and appeared to show reduced intensity of probe hybridization to these fragments, consistent with the presence of a V and a non-V allele. No RFLPs were detected with EcoRI, SstI, or BamHI, in spite of the relatively large segment of DNA (at least 20 kb) involved in the polymorphisms. The RFLPs were chimpanzee specific and were not found in man, gorilla, orangutan, or gibbon. Multiple RFLPs distinguishing primate species are rare and may be useful markers for molecular evolution.