The effects ofLeptospiraserotypepomonain sheep of different haemoglobin types

Abstract

Abstract Extract In the majority of adult sheep there are one or both of two genetically determined haemoglobin types designated Hb-A or Hb-B. The three phenotypes are A, AB or B. These haemoglobin types can be identified by differences in electrophoretic mobility (Harris and Warren, 1955 Agar, N. S., Evans, J. V. and Roberts, J. 1972. Red blood cell potassium and haemoglobin polymorphism in sheep. A review. Anim. Breeding Abs., 40: 407–435. [Google Scholar]; Evans et al., 1956 Blunt, M. H. and Evans, J. V. 1963. Changes in the concentration of potassium in the erythrocytes and in haemoglobin type in Merino sheepunder a severe anaemic stress. Nature (Lond.), 200: 1215–1216. [Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]). A third haemoglobin type, designated Hb-C, is associated with the Hb-A gene and is produced underconditions resulting in anaemia (Blunt and Evans, 1963 Evans, J. V., King, J. W. B., Cohen, B. L., Harris, H. and Warren, F. L. 1956. Genetics of haemoglobin and blood potassium differences in sheep. Nature (Lond.), 178: 849–850. [Crossref], [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]). There is some evidence of a relationship between haemoglobin types and variations in certain physiological characteristics or productive traits (Agar et al, 1972 Harris, H. and Warren, F. L. 1955. Occurence of eleetrophoretically distinct haemoglobins in ruminants. Biochem. J., 60: xxix–xxix. [PubMed] , [Google Scholar]).