CHARACTERIZATION OF GALLUS-DOMESTICUS ALPHA-N-ACETYL-GALACTOSAMINIDASE BLOOD-GROUP A(2) ACTIVITY

Soluble A antigens and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) us ing type A(2) erythrocyte membranes were used to study the activity of an alpha-N-acetyl-galactosaminidase from Gallus domesticus (domestic chicken). The enzyme readily hydrolyzed the terminal N-acetyl-alpha-D- galactosamine of the A antigen under a variety of conditions, converti ng it to H antigen. Conversion of the A antigen to H antigen produces blood type O, which is universally transfusable. These preliminary stu dies are important in determining optimal conditions for enzymatic con version of blood type A to O if efficient large scale production of en zymatically converted, universally transfusable red blood cells is to be achieved.