Isolation of a Serologically Active, Fucose-Containing, Trisaccharide From Human Blood-Group Lea Substance

The ABO blood group system: historical background

“…Any fragments that survive must therefore represent the peripheral non‐reducing ends of the chains as they exist in the native molecule. Application of these procedures led to the isolation from H substance of Type 1 and Type 2 H active trisaccharides (Rege et al ., 1964a; Lloyd et al ., 1966) and Le a active fragments from Le a active glycoprotein (Rege et al ., 1964b; Lloyd et al ., 1968) (Table 4). The complete A and B determinant structures were finally revealed by the isolation of serologically A‐ and B‐active tetrasaccharides based on Type 2 chains (Painter et al ., 1965) and reduced pentasaccharides based on Type 1 and Type 2 chains (Lloyd et al ., 1966) in which fucose residues linked α1,2 to the subterminal galactose were retained intact (Table 5) The characterization of an Le b tetrasaccharide (Table 4) isolated from an HLe b active glycoprotein (Marr et al ., 1967) established its status as an interaction product comprising a Type 1 H and Le a determinant but nevertheless having a different, distinctive, specificity from either of the contributing structures.…”

Glycosphingolipids with Lewis Blood Group Activity: Uptake by Human Erythrocytes

“…The reactivity of the glycolipids with antiserums to Lea and Leb of known specificity (6) indicates that the structures of the carbohydrate moieties of the glycolipids are very similar to the oligosaccharide antigenic determinants isolated from Lea and HLeb glycoproteins (12). These glycolipids are synthesized at an unknown site in the body, transported in plasma by lipoproteins, and acquired by erythrocytes from the lipoproteins.…”

Estimation of free methylpentoses in the presence of glycosidically bound sugar

“…The differences in the rate of release of fucose in different glycoproteins is no doubt a reflection of the type of glycosidic bond involved (13). This will be dealt with in greater detail in a subsequent communication.…”