Structural characterization of a blood group A heptaglycosylceramide with globo-series structure The major glycolipid based blood group A antigen of human kidney

AbstractA blood group A glycosphingolipid with the globo-series structure has been isolated from human kidney and structurally characterized. The structure was shown by mass spectrometry and proton NMR spectroscopy of the intact permethylated and permethylated-reduced derivatives together with degradation studies to be, GalNAcαl → 3Gal(2 ←1αFuc)β1 → 3GalNAcβ1 → 3Galα1 → 4Galαβ1 → 4Glcβ1 → 1 Ceramide. This glycolipid reacts with both polyclonal and monoclonal anti-A blood group typing antisera and it is the major glycolipid based blood group A antigen present in the human kidney