An. Gubin et al., Identification of the Dombrock blood group glycoprotein as a polymorphic member of the ADP-ribosyltransferase gene family, BLOOD, 96(7), 2000, pp. 2621-2627
Identification of the 25 known human blood group molecules Is of fundamenta
l importance for the fields of erythroid cell biology and transfusion medic
ine. Here we provide the first molecular description of the "Dombrock" bloo
d group system. A candidate gene was identified by in silico analyses of ap
proximately 5000 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) from terminally differentia
ting human erythroid cells. Transfection experiments demonstrated specific
binding of anti-Dombrock and confirmed glycosylphosphatidylinositol membran
e attachment. Dombrock expression is developmentally regulated during eryth
roid differentiation and occurs at highest levels in the fetal liver Homolo
gy studies suggest that the Dombrock molecule is a member of the adenosine
5'-diphosphate (ADP)-ribosyltransferase ectoenzyme gene family. Genotypic c
omparisons suggest Do(a) versus Do(b) antigenicity results from a single am
ino acid substitution within an encoded arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD
) motif of the molecule. (Blood. 2000;96: 2621-2627) (C) 2000 by The Americ
an Society of Hematology.