Anton blood group antigen explained

The Anton blood group antigen is a cell surface receptor found on some human red blood cells. It has been observed to play a role in Haemophilus influenzae infections. Studies showed that bacterium can adhere to this receptor and cause human red blood cells to agglutinate.

In 1985, this antigen was found to be the same as another called Wj so it is usually referred as AnWj.^{[1] [2]} In 1991, a study of a family with the trait showed that the phenotype indeed had an inherited character independent of other human blood group systems^[3] and in 2024, it was found that the inherited AnWj-negative blood group phenotype is caused by homozygosity for a deletion in the MAL gene that encodes the expression of the Myelin and lymphocyte (MAL) protein.^{[4] [5] [6]}

References

• Alphen Loek . Poole Joyce . Overbeeke Marijke . 1986. The Anton blood group antigen is the erythrocyte receptor for Haemophilus influenzae . FEMS Microbiology Letters . 37 . 1. 69–71. 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1986.tb01768.x . free .

Notes and References

1. Poole . Joyce . Giles . Carolyn . 1985-09-10 . Anton and Wj, are they related? . Transfusion . en . 25 . 5 . 443 . 10.1111/j.1537-2995.1985.tb01390.x . 0041-1132.
2. Marsh . W. Laurence . Johnson . C.L. . 1985-09-10 . Possible identity of Wj and Anton antigens . Transfusion . en . 25 . 5 . 443–444 . 10.1111/j.1537-2995.1985.tb01391.x . 0041-1132.
3. Poole . J. . Levene . C. . Bennett . M. . Sela . R. . van Alphen . L. . Spruellŝ . P. J. . December 1991 . A family showing inheritance of the Anton blood group antigen An Wj and independence of An Wj from Lutheran . Transfusion Medicine . en . 1 . 4 . 245–251 . 10.1111/j.1365-3148.1991.tb00040.x . 9259856 . 0958-7578.
4. Tilley . Louise A . Karamatic Crew . Vanja . Mankelow . Tosti J . AlSubhi . Samah A . Jones . Benjamin . Borowski . Abigail . Yahalom . Vered . Finkel . Lilach . Singleton . Belinda K . Walser . Piers J . Toye . Ashley Mark . Satchwell . Timothy J . Thornton . Nicole M . 2024-08-16 . Deletions in the MAL gene result in loss of Mal protein, defining the rare inherited AnWj-negative blood group phenotype . Blood . en . 10.1182/blood.2024025099 . 39158068 . 0006-4971.
5. Web site: Bristol . University of . September: blood-group News and features University of Bristol . 2024-09-21 . www.bristol.ac.uk . en-GB.
6. Web site: NHS scientists find new blood group solving 50-year mystery . 2024-09-21 . www.bbc.com . en-GB.