Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Molecular genetic basis of the histo-blood group ABO system

Nature volume 345, pages 229–233 (1990)Cite this article

Abstract

The histo-blood group ABO, the major human alloantigen system, involves three carbohydrate antigens (ABH). A, B and AB individuals express glycosyltransferase activities converting the H antigen into A or B antigens, whereas 0(H) individuals lack such activity. Here we present a molecular basis for the ABO genotypes. The A and B genes differ in a few single-base substitutions, changing four amino-acid residues that may cause differences in A and B transferase specificity. A critical single-base deletion was found in the 0 gene, which results in an entirely different, inactive protein incapable of modifying the H antigen.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Landsteiner, K. Zentbl. Bakt. Parasitkde (Abt.) 27, 357–363 (1900).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Clausen, H. & Hakomori, S. Vox Sang. 56, 1–20 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hakomori, S. Am. J. clin. Path. 82, 635–648 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Oriol, R., Le Pendu, J. & Mollicone, R. Vox Sang. 51, 161–171 (1986).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kabat, E. A. in Carbohydrates in Solution. Adv. Chemistry Series, Vol. 117, 334–361 (American Chemical Society, Washington, DC 1973).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. Morgan, W. T. J. & Watkins, W. M. Br. Med. Bull. 25, 30–34 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Watkins, W. M. in: Advances in Human Genetics Vol. 10 (eds Harris, H. & Hirschhorn, K.) 1–136 (Plenum, New York, 1980).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Watkins, W. M. & Morgan, W. T. J. Vox Sang. 4, 97–119 (1959).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Tuppy, H. & Staudenbauer, Z. Nature 210, 316–317 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Ginsburg, V. Adv. Enzym. 36, 131–149 (1972).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Race, C., Ziderman, D. & Watkins, W. M. Biochem. J. 107, 733–735 (1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. von Dungern, E. & Hirszfeld, L. Z. Immunitatsforsch. 8, 526–562 (1911).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bernstein, F. Klin. Wschr. 3, 1495–1497 (1924).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Yates, A. D., Feeney, J., Donald, A. S. R. & Watkins, W. M. Carbohyd. Res. 130, 251–260 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Yates, A. D. & Watkins, W. M. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun 109, 958–965 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Cook, G. A., Greenwell, P. & Watkins, W. M. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 10, 446–447 (1982).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Yoshida, A., Yamaguchi, Y. F. & Davi, V. Blood 54, 344–350 (1979).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. White, T. et al. Biochemistry 29, 2740–2747 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Greenwell, P., Edwards, Y. H., Williams, J. & Watkins, W. M. Biochem. Soc. Trans. 15, 601–603 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Clausen, H. et al. J. biol. Chem. 265, 1139–1145 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Navaratnam, N. & Watkins, W. M. in: Proc. Xth Intl Symp. on Glycoconjugates (eds Sharon, N., Lis. H., Duksin, D. & Kahane, I.) 225–226 (Jerusalem, Israel, 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Yamamoto, F. et al. J. biol. Chem. 265, 1146–1151 (1990).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Narimatsu, H., Sinha, S., Brew, K., Okayama, H. & Qasba, P. K. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 83, 4720–4724 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Nakazawa, K., Ando, T., Kimura, T. & Narimatsu, H. J. Biochem. Tokyo 104, 165–168 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Paulson, J. C. & Colley, K. J. J. biol. Chem. 264, 17615–17618 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Saiki, R. K. et al. Science 230, 1350–1354 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Maniatis, T., Fritsch, E. F. and Sambrook, J. Molecular Cloning: A Laboratory Manual 2nd edn (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, New York. 1989).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Schachter, H., Michaels, M. A., Tilley, C. A., Crookston, M. C. & Crookston, J. H. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 70, 220–224 (1973).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Clausen, H., Levery, S. B., Nudelman, E., Tsuchiya, S. & Hakomori, S. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 82, 1199–1203 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Kobata, A., Grollman, E. F. & Ginsburg, C. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 32, 272–277 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Schwyzer, M. & Hill, R. L. J. biol. Chem. 252, 2338–2345 (1977).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Ernst, L. K., Rajan, V. P., Larsen, R. D., Ruff, M. M. & Lowe, J.B. J. biol. Chem. 264, 3436–3447 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Clausen, H., Hakomori, S., Graem, N. & Dabelsteen, E. J. Immun. 136, 326–330 (1986).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Metoki, R. et al. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 81, 1151–1157 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Mourant, A. E., Kopec, A. C. & Domaniewska-Sobczak, K. Blood Groups and Diseases: A Study of Associations of Diseases with Blood Groups and Other Polymorphisms (Oxford University Press, 1978).

    Google Scholar 

  36. Sanger, F., Milen, S. & Coulson, A. R. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 74, 5463–5467 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Biomembrane Institute and University of Washington, 201 Elliott Avenue W., Seattle, Washington, 98119, USA

    Fumi-ichiro Yamamoto, Henrik Clausen, Thayer White, John Marken & Sen-itiroh Hakomori

Authors
  1. Fumi-ichiro Yamamoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Henrik Clausen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Thayer White
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. John Marken
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sen-itiroh Hakomori
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yamamoto, Fi., Clausen, H., White, T. et al. Molecular genetic basis of the histo-blood group ABO system. Nature 345, 229–233 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1038/345229a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/345229a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing