Restriction-site polymorphism of the albumin and the alpha fetoprotein genes in two inbred stains of rats

Three types of variant Eco RI and Hind III restriction enzyme patterns of albumin and α-fetoprotein genes DNA fragments have been detected in two different rat strains by agarose gel electrophoresis and Southern blot hybridization using 32 P-labelled cloned rat albumin and α-fetoprotein cDNA probes. Some types of albumin and α-fetoprotein gene variants are characteristic of the Sprague-Dawley strain, and others are found in Buffalo rats. The occurrence of these variants is interpreted as the result of simple allelic polymorphism, because they are inherited in a normal Mendalian fashion when Sprague-Dawney and Buffalo rats are crossed.