Molecular nature of the blood-group ABH antigens of the human erythrocyte membrane.

The oligosaccharide structures specifying the blood-group ABH determinants occur in the human erythrocyte membrane in different classes of compounds. The majority occur in a novel class of complex carbohydrate chains called the polyglycosyl chains. They are bound by an alkali-stable bond to glycoproteins (band 3, band 4.5) and occur also in glycolipids. Conventional glycosphingolipids as well as alkali-labile carbohydrate chains of glycoproteins (in the PAS-bands) are also carriers of the blood-group determinants.