PCR-RFLP Analysis of Cytochrome b (cyt b) Inheritance in the Wild-Type Strain and Laboratory Population of Japanese Quail

摘要

PCR-RFLP analysis was used to examine the 1,075 bp cytochrome b(cyt b)region in 26 birds from two families of laboratory quail and 26 birds of wild-type Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). The total cyt b amplicon was digested with ten restriction endonucleases, and its electrophoretic pattern was investigated. A variation was observed only in the Alu I digestion. Two kinds of haplotypes, A and B, were found in the laboratory population, and their frequencies were 92.3% and 7.7%, respectively. Only the unique haplotype A was found in the wild population. The estimated nucleotide sequence divergence between the two haplotypes observed in the laboratory population of Japanese quail was 0.770 %, and the nucleotide diversity ( π ) within the laboratorypopulation was 0.159 %. No variation was found in the wild quail population. These results indicated a higher genetic diversity in the laboratory strain than in the wild-type strain of quail. The results of progeny tests for cytochrome b inheritance intwo families of the laboratory population revealed that cytochrome b was inherited maternally. Alu I is suitable for detecting cytochrome b variations in Japanese quail.