Milk Protein Typing of Bovine Mammary Gland Tissue Used to Generate a Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acid Library

Abstract

The milk protein genotype of a mammary gland tissue that was used to generate a cDNA library at the University of California, Davis was typed by PAGE. Casein and whey proteins were extracted from the mammary tissue and typed utilizing fast mini-gel procedures that provide excellent resolution of the milk proteins. The genotype of the mammary tissue was classified as kappa-casein AB, beta-casein A2A1, alpha s1-casein BB, beta-lactoglobulin AA, and alpha-lactalbumin BB. The genes kappa-casein A, beta-casein A2, beta-lactoglobulin A, and alpha-lactalbumin B that have been cloned from this cDNA library coincide with those in the above tissue genotype with the exception of the recently reported cloning of the alpha s1-casein A gene. The gene frequencies for the casein genetic variants for three breeds of dairy cattle is presented and discussed in relation to the low frequency (.3%) of the alpha s1-casein A in the population.