SEPARATION AND DIFFERENTIAL ENZYMIC INACTIVATION OF F AND V ISOANTIGENS OF BOVINE ERYTHROCYTE

Summary. A subunit of the bovine erythrocyte membrane which resulted from ether and alkali extraction of stroma was found to retain possibly all of the blood group factors of the intact red blood cells. Factors in the A, B, C, F, L, S and Z systems were detected. Papain degradation of this elinin preparation resulted in loss of all detectable factors except F, V and C when they were present in the source material. The F and V properties were clearly separated from each other. The F property remained with the insoluble residue while the V was found in soluble form in the reaction supernatant. The V factor could also be released from stroma by similar papain treatment. The F factor was destroyed by treatment with neuraminidase while no other factor was found to be affected. There was evidence that more sialic acid could be released by neuraminidase or by acid hydrolysis from F‐positive than from F‐negative erythrocyte stroma. © 1969 Blackwell Publishing Ltd