Analysis of Egg White Lysozyme Polymorphisms among Japanese Quail Populations in Japan and France

Japanese quail egg white lysozyme possesses two alleles (S and F). In our previous study, the F phenotype was more effective against bacteria than the S phenotype, whereas the female-derived S phenotype led to improved hatchability. In this study, we analyzed gene frequency of egg white lysozyme using Acid-PAGE and mismatch PCR-RFLP in 22 Japanese quail populations in Japan and compared with five populations in INRA, France. Genotyping of the lysozyme locus in 22 Japanese quail populations in Japan revealed that this locus is polymorphic in all populations except Nagoya University and Kagoshima University (LL and SS) populations. The S allele was a major allele with frequency from 0.69 to 1.00. In five French populations, it was polymorphic in all populations except AA population. The S allele was a major allele with frequency from 0.69 to 1.00. From these results, the lysozyme locus was polymorphic in the Japanese quails and the S allele was a major allele. The S allele was fixed in several populations which have been maintained as closed and small population.