Structural modelling of red cell surface proteins.

The red cell surface membranes contain a large variety of proteins, many of which express blood group activity as a result of variation in their oligosaccharide or amino acid sequences. To understand the nature of the blood group epitopes, the functions of the proteins that express them and their relationship to each other, computer modelling has been employed to provide predictions of their structures. Modelling is an excellent method of first resort when experimental structural data for the protein of interest are absent or incomplete. The model can then be used to explain previous experimental data and to direct future experiments. In this review, examples of protein modelling are taken from the Rh, RHAG, Kell, LW, Lutheran, Duffy, Dombrock and RAPH blood group systems.