Transferrins of cercopithecinae

The transferrin phenotypes of 11 species of Cercopithecinae were determined by electrophoresis of plasma, followed by autoradiography. Sialic acid content of transferrins was determined by electrophoresis and autoradiography of enzymatically treated plasma. Transferrin polymorphisms were found in three species. The transferrins of Cercopithecus spp., except C.patas., contain two sialic acid residues per molecule; transferrin of C.patas contains four sialic acid residues. The transferrins of Cercocebus spp. and Macaca spp. contain two sialic acid residues. The transferrins of Papio spp., except P. sphinx, contain four sialic acid residues per molecule; the transferrins of P. sphinx contain two sialic acid residues. These results and data taken from the literature support the conclusions that transferrins are polymorphic among some cercopithecines and that they are probably inherited as the products of nondominant autosomal alleles.