Ecological studies of intestinal bacteria. Relation between the specificity of fecal ABO blood group antigen-degrading enzymes from enteric bacteria and the ABO blood group of the human host

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Abstract

This report presents evidence for enteric bacterial adaptation to genetically controlled environmental factors in the individual human host. Human feces contains bacterial enzymes that degrade water-soluble A, B, and H antigens, and both the presence and the specificity of ABH blood group antigens in human gut mucous secretions are genetically determined for each individual. In this study, partially purified fecal blood group antigen-degrading enzymes from 31 subjects of known blood group and secretor status were obtained and their relative specificity for A, B, and H antigen was measured.

Authors

Lansing C. Hoskins