title: Action of alpha-galactosidase from Clostridium sporogenes and coffee beans on blood group B antigen of erythrocytes. The effect on the viability of erythrocytes in circulation.
abstract: The effect of alpha-galactosidase, purified from Clostridium sporogenes (Maebashi), was examined on erythrocytes from rats, rabbits and gibbons. The amount of galactose released by alpha-galactosidase from Cl. sporogenes and from coffee beans was compared. The amount of sialic acid released by Vibrio cholera sialidase was also determined. Loss of blood group B specificity following treatment with alpha-galactosidase was demonstrated with anti-B lectin. In animal models, removal of all the alpha-galactosyl residues with the coffee bean or clostridial alpha-galactosidase resulted in no change in the sequestration pattern of the treated erythrocytes over a period of several days. In contrast, erythrocytes treated with sialidase were rapidly sequestered from the circulation.
mesh_terms: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D000818:Animals; D003013:Clostridium / Q000201:enzymology*; D003069:Coffee / Q000201:enzymology*; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose; D005693:Galactosemias; D005696:Galactosidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006922:Hylobates; D008297:Male; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000097:blood; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000017:ABO Blood-Group System; D003069:Coffee; D012794:Sialic Acids; D005696:Galactosidases; D000519:alpha-Galactosidase; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D005690:Galactose