Cell electrophoretic, membrane sialic acid and quantitative hemagglutination studies on some MN variants.

The group of conditions exhibiting diminished MN antigenicity, increased saline agglutinability, decreased electrophoretic mobility and reduced membrane content of sialic acid includes enzyme-treated cells, the hereditary MNSs variants Mk and Mg, En(a-) and the acquired condition of persistent mixed-field polyagglutinability. Here we report our studies on the above serological, chemical and biophysical properties of Mg, Mk and EnaEn? CELLS AND ON TWO ADDITIONAL HEREDItary variants, Miltenberger III and V, (Mi-III and Mi-V). The latter clearly fits into this group of conditions. On the other hand, Mi-III shows its kinship to the broad group of abnormalities of membrane glycophorin but it deviates from normal in the opposite direction. That is we find evidence of decreased saline agglutinability, increased electrophoretic mobility and of increased sialic acid content. Moreover, in the rare MsMi-III Mk phenotype, the opposing effects evident in the heterozygotes tend to balance out their serologic and physicochemical expressions in the double heterozygote.