Relationships between Blood Group Agglutinogens: Role of Sialic Acids

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Various sialic acids have been found to inhibit a number of hemagglutinating sera and lectins at pH 7. The observations indicate that N‐acetyl neuraminic add may be a functional constituent of the M, N, and D receptors. It is suggested that many, perhaps most, of the different erythrocyte receptors are interrelated structurally. Isolated blood group substances from human erythrocytes should be considered and tested in terms of the complete phenotype of the cells from which they are extracted. Thus, attempts to isolate “pure” specific A, B, M, N, D, etc., antigens from erythrocytes may be based on an unrealistically idealized and simplified picture of the detailed structure of the red cell surface.