The sugar chain structures of ABO blood group active glycoproteins obtained from human erythrocyte membrane.

The glycoproteins of human erythrocyte membrane have two groups of sugar chains with blood type ABH determinants, which are quite distinct in their molecular sizes. A neutral sugar chain and an acidic sugar chain, which belong to the small size group, were isolated from the glycoproteins obtained from the erythrocyte of blood type O individuals, and their structures were elucidated as Fucalpha1 leads to 2Galbeta1 leads to 3N-acetylgalactosaminitol and Fucalpha1 leads to 2Galbeta1 leads to 3(AcNeualpha2 leads to 6)N-acetylgalactosaminitol, respectively. The molecular weight of the large sugar chains with ABH determinants were estimated to be more than 4000. Both large and small neutral sugar chains of membrane glycoproteins obtained from blood type O erythrocyte could serve as acceptors of alpha-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases purified from milk of blood type A1 and A2 individuals, producing the same radioactive sugar chain distribution patterns. However, the acidic sugar chain with the H determinant could not serve as an acceptor of these enzymes.