Ultrastructural mapping of methyldopa and anti-D IgG erythrocyte antigen receptors.

The ultrastructural distribution pattern and site density of alpha-methyldopa immunoglobin G (alpha-MD IgG) on the red cell membrane was observed and compared with that of anti-D IgG, with ferritin-conjugated rabbit anti-human IgG and [125I]anti-D. alpha-MD IgG binds to all common types of human red cells, both Rho (D) positive and negative, to give a random, aperiodic distribution pattern grossly indistinguishable from the red cell D receptor site pattern. alpha-MD IgG inhibits the binding of [125I]anti-D to D-positive red cells when the reaction is controlled with respect to total reaction volume, ionic strength, and the appropriate concentrations of the two IgG reactants. To determine if a alpha-MD IgG binds to the D-antigen receptor, D-positive red cells were sensitized with alpha-MD and [125I]anti-D IgG spearately and with both IgG preparations. The cell-bound radioactivity served to identify what proportion of the total ferritin-labeled IgG sites were due to anti-D. With nonsaturating concentrations of anti-D the number of IgG sites observed was equal to the sum of the sites found when the red cell was sensitized separately with alpha-MD and anti-D IgG. With saturating concentrations of anti-D there was a reduction in the expected number of IgG sites, indicating that alpha-MD IgG was excluded from binding. There was no comparable interaction of alpha-MD IgG and anti-D IgG when D-negative red cells were used. The results obtained indicate that alpha-MD IgG does not bind to the D antigen. The interaction between alpha-MD IgG and anti-D IgG for binding sites on the red cell membrane may be due to the close physical proximity of the two receptors, so as to produce steric hindrance in binding of the two IgG preparations when both are present. The alpha-MD IgG receptor appears to be a part of the Rh antigen complex that occurs in both D-positive and D-negative red cells and probably contains receptors for other types of warm-antibody immune hemolytic anemias.