Genetic polymorphism of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) tissue acid phosphatases (ACP2 and ACP3).

Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) red cell and tissue acid phosphatases were studied by means of horizontal starch gel electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing followed by enzyme blotting. Red cell acid phosphatase 1 (ACP1) is monomorphic while tissue acid phosphatase 2 (ACP2) is polymorphic in a wild rabbit population, with two alleles: ACP2*1 (0.96) and ACP2*2 (0.04). A third locus homologous of human acid phosphatase 3 (ACP3) is characterized by the presence of three alleles (ACP3*1, ACP3*2 and ACP3*3). ACP3*1 is the most common allele and was detected in all populations, ACP3*2 was found in domestic breeds and in a wild population from Southern France, whereas ACP3*3 is typical of Portuguese wild rabbits. The geographical distribution of ACP3*2 and ACP3*3 is in agreement with the subspecific level of differentiation of the rabbit species in O. cuniculus cuniculus and O. c. algirus. The comparative study of the acid phosphatase activity in red cells of several mammalian species, including humans, suggests that ACP3 activity in erythrocytes exists only in rabbit.