Segregation distortion at the transferrin locus in Macaca mulatta.

The transferrin phenotypes of 256 rhesus monkeys and their parents were identified by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The segregation ratio for phenotypes involving only alleles of high electrophoretic mobility was statistically significantly higher than expected and suggests that selection favors these more negatively charged transferrins. Electrostatic-dependent processes associated with the binding and transportation of iron might be responsible for this outcome.