A new restriction fragment length polymorphism of the ceruloplasmin gene in rat

Using a cDNA probe of the ceruloplasmin (CP) gene, a new restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) was detected in inbred strains of rat with the restriction enzyme KpnI. The RFLP behaved as a codominant trait on a single autosomal locus. Two alleles of the CP gene, which were tentatively designated as CP-A and CP-B, were almost equally distributed in 10 inbred strains. These indicate that the RFLP of the CP gene is a useful marker locus of the rat. We utilized this CP gene polymorphism for the investigation of the pathogenesis of the aberrant hepatic copper metabolism in LEC mutant rat, since CP has a pivotal role in copper metabolism in the liver. Using backcross progenies originating from LEC and BN rats, we found that the CP gene is not associated with the excess hepatic copper accumulation and the deficiency in serum CP activity, both of which are congenital abnormal phenotypes exhibited in LEC mutant rat.