Inherited α-Lactalbumin and β-Lactoglobulin Polymorphism in Indian Zebu Cattle. Comparison of Zebu and Buffalo α-Lactalbumins

Abstract

IT has been shown by paper electrophoresis that genetically different types of β-lactoglobulin1,2 and α-lactalbumin3,4 occur in cow's milk. While genetic polymorphism of β-lactoglobulin is general among the cattle of different countries, that of α-lactalbumin has only been observed in two breeds of African zebus, the Nigerian White Fulani3 and the boran4 cattle of Kenya, but not in Icelandic, British3, Danish5 and North American6 (Holstein) cattle. Blumberg and Tombs noted the Nigerian White Fulani cattle to be similar in appearance to the ‘Brahmin’ cattle of the East, which were probably brought into Africa by the nomadic Fulani people, and suggested that α-lactalbumin-A might serve as a marker by which the affinities of the zebu cattle, and indirectly of the Fulani people associated with them, could be traced. We have now examined the α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin polymorphism in Indian zebu cattle with the view of getting further information on this aspect. Moreover, from a comparison of electrophoretic patterns of non-casein proteins of African zebu3 and Indian buffalo milk7, the mobilities of zebu α-lactalbumin-A and of the single buffalo α-lactalbumin appeared to be approximately the same. This indicated that these two proteins might have closely similar physico-chemical properties as has been observed7–9 in the case of cow β-lactoglobulin-B and the single buffalo β-lactoglobulin.