Reliability of transferrin and leucine aminopeptidase phenotyping in wild meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus)

Abstract

Replicate plasma samples from wild Microtus pennsylvanicus were typed by gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for the transferrin and leucine aminopeptidase polymorphisms. Phenotypes remained the same through major seasonal changes in reproductive activity and environmental conditions. Possible explanations for the anomalous phenotypic variation seen in Microtus ochrogaster [McGovern M., and Tracy, C. R. (1981). Oecologia 51:276] are discussed.

Physiological Plasticity of Electromorphs of Blood Proteins in Free‐Ranging Microtus Ochrogaster: A Second Look

“…Our results are consistent with previous work establishing TF and LAP as reliable genetic markers in Microtus species (Mihok andEwing 1983, Gaines andGorman 1985). Despite changes in season and in some cases reproductive condition, the TF and LAP phenotypes remained the same in the 25 voles that had multiple captures.…”

“…Three studies (Mihok andEwing 1983, Gaines andGorman 1985, and the present study) do provide evidence that TF and LAP are reliable genetic markers. Nevertheless, ifthese two proteins are labile using some laboratory methods but not others, one needs to establish that the TF and LAP systems are reliable before using them as genetic markers in a population study.…”

“…First, laboratory crosses of voles maintained at a constant temperature indicate that electromorphs at these two loci are inherited in a Mendelian fashion (Gaines and Krebs 1971). Second, Mihok and Ewing (1983) found no changes at TF and LAP loci in 27 individuals sam-pled repeatedly in a natural population of a different voie species, Microtus pennsylvanicus. Third, when Gaines and Gorman (1985) subjected 18 wild Kansas prairie voles, caught in summer, to temperatures that simulated winter in the laboratory, there were no changes in the mobility of electromorphs at either locus.…”

Genetic variation in a fluctuating population of the yellow-necked mouse Apodemus flavicollis

“…They questioned the suitability of transferrin as a marker in population studies of microtine rodents. In contrary, Mihok and Ewing (1983) studied transferrin in the same individuals in different period of their lives, and found the complete reliability of transferrin electromorphs in M. pennsylvanicus. It is also noteworthy that Gulyaeva and Olenev's (1979) and McGovern and Tracy's (1981) results are not consistent with extensive mating data on the transferrin system in Cletnrionomys, Microtus, Peromyscus and Mus species (see e.g.…”

Variability of transferrin in field mice from an urban park, suburban island and field populations

“…Urban Mihok & Ewing, 1983) but a background cf this event was not determined yet (Mihok & Ewing, 1983).…”