CHANGES IN SPECIFICITY OF BLOOD-GROUP MUCOPOLYSACCHARIDES INDUCED BY ENZYMES FROM TRICHOMONAS FOETUS

  • 1 January 1962
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 5  (2) , 245-+
Abstract
The action of partially purified enzyme preparations from Trichomonas foetus on the serological properties of the water-soluble A, B, H and Lea human blood-group substances has been examined. Further evidence has been obtained for the presence in A and B substances of structures closely similar to, or identical with, the specific determinant groupings in H substance. In addition, it has been shown that enzymic destruction of H serological properties results in certain instances in a considerable increase in the reactivity of the H substance with Lewis anti-Lea sera. The capacity to develop Lea specificity appears to be related to the Lewis blood-group phenotype of the individual from whom the H substance is derived. The significance of these results is discussed in relation to schemes which were put forward earlier for the biosynthesis of the blood-group mucopoly-saccharides.