Genetic linkage groups in the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica)

Abstract

To elucidate the genetic linkage groups of the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica) and compare them with those of other amphibians, we analyzed the inheritance of alleles at 15 enzyme and blood protein loci and one pigment locus (Blk) in 3298 offspring derived from 37 crosses using 28 males heterozygous at these loci. Of 63 pairs of loci tested for linkage, 55 pairs showed independent assortment in all crosses examined. In another six pairs, that is, between FUM/ME-1, α-GDH/MDH-2, MDH-1/ME-1, MDH-2/ME-2, MDH-2/PEP-C, and ME-2/PEP-C, all the offspring analyzed were parental, and none were recombinant. In the other two pairs, that is, between GPI/PEP-D and AAT- 1/Blk, most of the offspring were parental, and some were recombinants with recombination rates ranging from 4.8% to 8.0%. Thus the following four linkage groups comprising 11 loci were established in R. japonica. The first group included the loci for α-GDH, MDH-2, ME-2, and PEP-C; the second group included the loci for MDH-1, ME-1, and FUM; the third group included the loci for GPI and PEP-D; and the fourth group included the loci for AAT-1 and Blk. No linkage between the other five loci - ADA, MPI, PEP-A, PGM, and Alb - was observed in the present study.