A note on linkage between the Angora and fgf5 genes in rabbits.

Abstract

The angora mutation in mice corresponds to a large deletion in the fgf5 (fibroblast growth factor 5) exon 1. Two pairs of primers were chosen in the human fgf5 coding sequence in order to amplify two fragments of the rabbit gene. One biallelic polymorphism was demonstrated in each fragment. The four alleles were cloned and sequenced. A random sample of unrelated angora (n=17) and wild-type control animals (n=15) were analysed for both polymorphisms. The observed haplotype frequencies show a clear separation between the two populations. Informative families were created by backcrossing to measure linkage between the angora and fgf5 loci. No recombinant was observed between them, in 56 meiosis, proving a tight linkage between both genes.