Monoclonal antibodies that recognize different membrane proteins that are deficient in Rhnull human erythrocytes. One group of antibodies reacts with a variety of cells and tissues whereas the other group is erythroid-specific.

1. Rhnull human erythrocytes lack all of the antigens of the Rh and LW blood group systems and have abnormal shape and an increased osmotic fragility. In this paper two murine monoclonal antibodies raised against intact human erythrocytes were used to investigate further the abnormalities in these cells. BRIC 125 reacts weakly with Rhnull erythrocytes and BRIC 69 does not react at all. The results showed that BRIC 125 reacts with a component of Mr 47,000-52,000 which has a substantial content of N-glycans. In contrast, BRIC 69 reacted with a band of Mr 31,000 together with a very diffuse band of Mr 35,000-52,000. Treatment of BRIC 69 immunoprecipitates with endoglycosidase F/peptidyl-N-glycosidase F resulted in the loss of both BRIC 69 reactive components and the appearance of a new band of Mr similar to that of the Rh(D) polypeptide. 2. BRIC 125 had a broad reactivity with cells in peripheral blood, whereas the reactivity of BRIC 69 was confined to erythrocytes. BRIC 125, but not BRIC 69, reacted with human kidney tissue and bound to endothelium in peritubular capillaries, arteries and veins as well as the epithelial tissue of distal tubules. BRIC 125 stained haemopoietic cells, foetal hepatocytes and megakaryocytes in foetal liver and sinusoidal cells, hepatocytes and portal tracts in adult liver. In contrast, BRIC 69 reactivity was confined to haemopoietic cells in foetal liver. The BRIC 125 epitope has a wide tissue distribution, suggesting the occurrence of a related group of polypeptides which have a general functional role on cell surfaces. 3. Rhnull erythrocytes are deficient in at least four different membrane polypeptides.