Three new plasma protein polymorphisms in domestic foxes, detected by a simple method of 2D horizontal electrophoresis.

Plasma samples of 270 foxes from 45 complete families (14 of arctic foxes, 28 of silver foxes and 3 with arctic x silver fox hybrid offspring) were analysed by a method of two-dimensional agarose gel (pH 5.4)-horizontal polyacrylamide gel (pH 9.0) electrophoresis followed by general-protein staining of gels. Genetic polymorphism of three plasma proteins, tentatively designated prealbumin (Pr), postalbumin 1 (Pa1), and pretransferin 1 (Prt1), was observed. In silver foxes, Pa1 and Prt1 showed a high degree of polymorphism, each with 3 common alleles, while Pr showed a scarce polymorphism. The arctic foxes were monomorphic for Pr and Prt1 and showed a scarce Pa1 polymorphism. The Prt1 phenotype of arctic foxes showed identical mobility with one of the Prt1 variants of silver foxes.