Genetic variation in the serum lysozyme activity in cattle
Lie, O.
Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 21(3): 448-450
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0044-605X PMID: 7446325 Document Number: 155767
Serum samples were collected over a 2-yr period from 294 bulls in 19 half-sib groups. The mean lysozyme activity was 0.39 plus or minus 0.32 mu g/ml (0-2.63), the difference between half-sib groups being highly significant. When a sire family of 30 males with extremely high lysozyme activity was excluded, the h2 of lysozyme activity was 0.27 plus or minus 0.18. It was concluded that serum lysozyme activity is probably regulated by polygenes, and a lysozyme-controlling gene, which occurs at a relatively low frequency in the population, may be responsible for the existence of individuals with extremely high lysozyme levels.