Abstract
The presence of haemolysins (HLY) and haemagglutinins (HGN) in extracts of 36 species of lichens from 19 genera and 8 families was investigated with 20 types of erythrocyte. HLY and HGN were detected in 29 species. Over 60% of the extracts reacted with rabbit and chicken erythrocytes and least reac- tivities were obtained with rat red blood cells (<6%). No selective lichen specificity was found for any of the erythrocytes used except that mouse red blood cells only gave HL Y and HGN with Usnea fragilescens and Xanthoria parietina, and rat erythrocytes were only reactive against U. fragilescens. Of the three morphological forms, U. fragilescens, Parmelia caperata and Lepraria incana exhibited haemag- glutination and haemolysis to over 10 and 13 types of erythrocyte respectively. Highest HLY activities were obtained at an incubation temperature of 4?C and highest HGN values at 37?C. Non-immunoglobulin, antibody-like, human blood-group specific haemagglutinins were first demonstrated in angiosperm seed extracts (Renkonen 1948). Substances of plant origin that display agglutinatory activity and frequently show a high degree of specificity towards human erythrocytes of specific blood groups, as well as towards the red blood cells of different animal species, are termed lectins (Boyd 1963).
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