Immunoanalysis and quantitation of membrane sialoglycoproteins (glycophorins) in rat erythrocytes and reticulocytes.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the quantitation of rat erythrocyte membrane sialoglycoproteins (glycophorins) has been developed. Samples of erythrocytes and reticulocytes were analysed using this assay, and response compared among them and purified glycophorins samples. A broadly homologous behaviour of glycophorins was found in both cell types, suggesting the presence in reticulocytes of glycophorin molecules closely similar to those on the erythrocyte. A quantitative evaluation of glycophorins on both cell types yielded comparable levels of these glycoproteins, but with significantly higher values (1.7-fold) for reticulocytes. It is suggested that the lower number of epitopes present on the erythrocyte membrane might be due to the disappearance of some glycophorin-associated antigenic determinants during the maturation of reticulocyte to erythrocyte.