Multiple specificities of mammalian blood group substances comparatively studied with human isoagglutinins and fractionated anti-H lectins.

Purified blood group-active substances derived from different pig, horse, baboon, Rhesus monkey and human tissues were quantitatively studied for their haemagglutination inhibiting potency with: (1) human IgM anti-A and anti-B; (2) human anti-Lea and anti-Leb; (3) Ulex europaeus extracts separated into lectin fractions with respective L-fucose-inhibitable ('anti-HF') and chitobiose-cellobiose-inhibitable ('anti-HC') combining sites. Irrespective of species origin, A and B blood group activity per milligram of purified material tended to be strikingly higher in substances low in, or devoid of, Lewis blood group activity. Most of the blood group substances displayed variable but about equally balanced amounts of Ulex anti-HF and anti-HC inhibiting activity. In contrast, pig submaxillary gland mucins displayed strikingly high levels of Ulex anti-HC inihibiting activity, even in the complete absence of Ulex anti-HF inhibiting activity. These serological findings are consistent with current biochemical concepts regarding the heterosaccharide microheterogeneity of blood group-active glycoproteins.