Abstract
Abstract
Previous investigators have reported that the expression of Rho(D) antigen activity by human erythrocytes and their membranes depended on the presence of phospholipid. In order to further elucidate the role of phospholipids in expression of Rho(D) antigen activity, erythrocyte membranes and partially purified Rho(D) antigens were incubated with bee venom phospholipase A2. Treatment of erythrocyte membranes with phospholipase A2 resulted in loss of Rho(D) antigen activity as detected by hemagglutination inhibition assays. However, subsequent solubilization of these treated membranes with deoxycholate allowed recovery of Rho(D) antigen activity. Phospholipase treatment of solubilized Rho(D) antigens, which had been partially purified by affinity chromatography on anti-Rho(D) IgG agarose columns, did not destroy Rho(D) antigen activity. These results suggested that phospholipids did not affect the antigenic determinants of the Rho(D) antigen since solubilized, partially purified Rho(D) antigens retained their antigenicity following exposure to phospholipase. Phospholipids were presumably required for proper orientation of Rho(D) antigens within erythrocyte membranes since Rho(D) membranes lost their antigenicity following phospholipase treatment.
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