Amphibian Blood Group Substances. I

Abstract

ABH blood group activities of red cells and gastric mucosa from two kinds of anuran, Xenopus laevis and Rana catesbiana (bull-frog) were examined by absorption test of group-specific agglutinins and by precipitin reaction with group-specific precipitins. Red cells of Xenopus have not any blood group activities and those of bull-frogs have strong B activity with weak H and A ones. Water-soluble fractions from the gastric mucosa of Xenopus were shown to have A and H activities and those of bull-frogs A, B and H activities. Blood group activities of these gastric preparations were also confirmed by destruction of A activity in Xenopus by treatment with α-N-acetyl-D-galactosaminidase and B activity in bull-frogs by treatment with α-D-galactosidase, with development of H activity in both of them