Turning universal O into rare Bombay type blood.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 36997505.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-023-37324-z and PMC identifier 10063614.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Red blood cell antigens play critical roles in blood transfusion since donor incompatibilities can be lethal. Recipients with the rare total deficiency in H antigen, the O<sub>h</sub> Bombay phenotype, can only be transfused with group O<sub>h</sub> blood to avoid serious transfusion reactions. We discover FucOB from the mucin-degrading bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila as an α-1,2-fucosidase able to hydrolyze Type I, Type II, Type III and Type V H antigens to obtain the afucosylated Bombay phenotype in vitro. X-ray crystal structures of FucOB show a three-domain architecture, including a GH95 glycoside hydrolase. The structural data together with site-directed mutagenesis, enzymatic activity and computational methods provide molecular insights into substrate specificity and catalysis. Furthermore, using agglutination tests and flow cytometry-based techniques, we demonstrate the ability of FucOB to convert universal O type into rare Bombay type blood, providing exciting possibilities to facilitate transfusion in recipients/patients with Bombay phenotype.
Medical subject headings
- Blood Transfusion
- Transfusion Reaction