Gene diversity of bovid hemoglobins

Abstract

Forty-five adult hemoglobin molecular forms which include 22 electrophoretically silent forms were structurally characterized from animal species of nine genera belonging to family Bovidae. Of the 12 different bovid species studied, 11 showed either α or β chain heterogeneity in their hemoglobins while eight species showed heterogeneity for both polypeptide chains. Wherever possible, the genetic basis for hemoglobin phenotypes has been suggested. By construction of a phylogenetic tree for 14 ungulate α -globin sequences, the evolutionary origins of duplicated α chain genes present in some ungulate species have been located, and the phyletic relationship of bovids based on the α globin data is discussed.