Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism of Cardiac Myosin Heavy Chain Gene in Rats and Its Strain Distribution

Abstract

The distribution of an RFLP in EcoRI fragments of the cardiac myosin heavy chain gene among 29 strains of laboratory rats was examined. Southern blot hybridization of rat genomic DN As with rat cardiac myosin heavy chain cDNA as a probe demonstrated an interstrain variation in one of eight EcoRI fragments. Of the 28 inbred strains examined, 10 had a fragment of 10 kbp, whereas 18 had a fragment of 7.5 kbp. The 15 samples of the remaining strain (Iar: WI outbred stock) had fragments of either 7.5 kbp or 10 and 7.5 kbp, indicating that this strain has maintained heterogeneity of these fragments.