Desialosylation of mammalian and non mammalian red blood cells: Effect on in vivo survival in relation to the number of unmasked T-sites on VCN treated erythrocytes and serum T-agglutinin titers

Abstract

1. 1. Desialosylation of mammalian erythrocytes by Vibrio cholerae neuraminidase (VCN) reduces their in vivo viability. 2. 2. By contrast, the effect of desialosylation of non mammalian erythrocytes is not constant. 3. 3. The viability of duck desialosylated erythrocytes is reduced but the half-life of chicken and newt erythrocytes is not shortened by desialosylation. 4. 4. The effect of desialosylation on erythrocyte life span is related neither to the presence of T-agglutinin in serum nor to the number of β galactosyl residues (T-sites) unmasked on erythrocytes by desialosylation and estimated by agglutination with the lectin of Arachis hypogoea.