Differentiation of blood group H in a human transformed cell line.

HeLa cells were separated into two populations by agglutination with anti-H ulex reagent which was defined according to its reactivity against L-fucose, the immunodeterminant sugar for blood group H. Chromosome studies of individual cells from each population indicated that they were karyotypically similar and that they possessed a single modal chromosome number of 69. Studies of tissue culture supernates and of cellular fractions and their supernates showed that HeLa cell group H was membrane associated and not soluble in nature. Cloning studies of single H(-) cells separated from H(-) cells agglutinated by anti-H demonstrated progeny comprised of mixed H(-)/H(-) cells, a finding which was supported by results of population studies on typed cells grown in monolayer culture. It is believed that the H- population represents germinal cells that are capable of dividing to form mixed H(-)/H(-) cellular progeny, the former representing a more fully differentiated cell form, which eventually exfoliates and becomes nonfunctional.