The extent and character of biochemical genetic variation in the domestic cat

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Abstract
A sample of 56 adult cats trapped in 1978 in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia [USA] were examined for allelic variation at 55 biochemical loci in the cat genome. The soluble proteins and enzymes were visualized by histochemical enzyme development following gel electrophoresis of crude extracts of kidney, liver, red blood cells and serum. The allozyme (allelic isozyme) phenotype of each cat was determined relative to 3 standard feline cell lines, CRFK, FL-74 and FEF. Of the 55 loci scored, 43 were invariant and 12 were polymorphic (22%) for at least 2 alleles. The genotypic frequencies at the polymorphic loci were distributed in conformity with expectations of the Hardy-Weinburg equilibrium. The average heterozygosity (H) of all the loci in the population was 0.07, which is similar to estimates in other mammalian species including mice and humans. The composite allozyme phenotype at the 12 polymorphic loci of any cat or cultured feline cells provides a definitive genetic signature for cell and tissue identification as previously demonstrated with human tissues.