BLOOD GROUP REACTIVE SUBSTANCES IN SOME MARINE INVERTEBRATES

¹ Department of Biological Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Goleta, California

The occurrence of blood group reactive substances in some species of marine invertebrates is reported. These include:

1. Antigens on the hemerythrocytes of the sipunculid, Dendrostomum zostericolum, that react with various antiserums including human anti-A, human anti-B and anti-Forssman, and a comparison of these reactions with those of the hemocytes of the inn-keeper worm, Urechis caupo.

2. A substance in the serum of the spiny lobster, Panulirus interruptus, that agglutinates erythrocytes carrying the Ju2 antigen in whale species. These include the sperm, humpback, sei and finback whales.

3. A substance in Octopus bimaculatus serum that specifically inhibits the agglutination by anti-A serum of human cells carrying the A₁ and A₂ antigens.