Myosin light chain-1: Genetic analysis of three variants found in fast white chicken muscle and investigation of linkage with the muscular dystrophy gene

Backcross and F₂ analyses have been carried out to determine the genetic basis of inheritance of three myosin light chain-1 variants present in the fast white muscle fibers of the domestic chicken. Two of the variants (types I and II) were described previously [Rushbrook, J. I., Yuan, A. I., and Stracher, A. (1982). Muscle Nerve 5:505], while the existence of the third (type III) is reported here. The results are consistent with an autosomal and allelic origin for the variants. A test linkage backcross to the muscular dystrophy gene am was found to be negative. This is the twelfth negative linkage result for the am gene.This work was supported by grants from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Inc., and the National Institutes of Health (R23 HL27883) to Dr. Rushbrook and from the National Institutes of Health (R01 NS18438) to Dr. A. Stracher. It is a joint publication from the institutions listed below and is Scientific Contribution No. 1,070 from the Storrs Agricultural Experiment Station.