Immunoglobulin allotypes in some Australian wild rabbit populations

Abstract

Several populations of Australian wild rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus, were surveyed for the distributions of alleles and phenotypes at the a and b immunoglobulin loci. Three alleles were found ateach locus. Significant genetic differentiation was found between populations separated by bothlong and extremely short geographic distances. No influences of natural selection on the geographicdistributions of allotype alleles could be detected. The high levels of heterozygosity at the immunoglobulin loci are in marked contrast to the low levels found in red cell enzymes and some other blood protein loci of Australian rabbits.