Genetic polymorphism in the serum transferrin of Rattus rattus.

XTENSIVE studies have been carried out on serum transferrin polymorphE isms of various vertebrates including man, and reviewed comprehensively by several workers (GIBLETT 1962; BEARN and CLEVE 1966; and LUSH 1966). In the order Rodentia, transferrin variations have so far been reported in only a few species: the laboratory mouse, Mus musculus ( COHEN 1960; SHREFFLER 1960; KLEIN, ROOP and Roop 1966), and three species of voles, Microtus (MAURER 1967). The present study is concerned with the inheritance of serum transferrin polymorphisms in the black rat, Rattus rattus, the distribution of this polymorphism in Japanese populations of Rattus rattus and the relationship between this polymorphism and morphological variations of the largest chromosome in the species.