Distribution of H type 1 and H type 2 antigenic determinants in human sera and saliva.
A radioimmunoassay specific for the H type 1 antigenic determinant demonstrated that the H type 1 antigen is under the strict control of the Se gene in both serum and saliva. Similar amounts of H type 1 antigenic determinants were found in saliva from Se/-, le/le donors and in saliva from Se/-, Le/- donors. However, sera from Se/-, le/le donors were about 100 times more efficient in inhibiting the H type 1 assay than were sera from Se/-, Le/- donors. A radioimmunoassay, based on the binding of Ulex europaeus with the H type 2 antigenic determinant, showed that all the H type 2 antigen in saliva is under the control of the Se gene, while only one-third of the H type 2 antigen present in serum is under the control of this gene. The remaining two-thirds of H type 2 antigen in sera is independent of the ABH secretor status of the donor. The amount of H type 2 antigen in both serum and saliva is independent of the Le gene. These results are compatible with the existence of two alpha (1 leads to 2) fucosyl-transferases but suggest that the enzyme of epithelial origin, coded by the Se gene, should be able to transform both type 1 and type 2 natural substrates, while the enzyme of mesodermic origin, coded by the H gene, would work preferentially on the natural type 2 substrates.
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics*; D000939:Epitopes / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012463:Saliva / Q000032:analysis*
D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000939:Epitopes; D007983:Lewis Blood Group Antigens; D005647:Fucosyltransferases