Human-type blood groups and Gm factors in gibbons (Hylobates)

Abstract

Blood specimens from 69 gibbons (63Hylobates lar, 4Hylobates concolor, and 2Hylobates pileatus) were tested for human-type ABO, MN, and Rh blood groups. AmongH. lar, three phenotypes were noted in the ABO and MN blood groups respectively, but all fourH. concolor were grouped as AM. All group A gibbons were of subgroup A1; subgroups A2B and A1⋅2B were observed at a low frequency in group AB gibbons. Leb antigen was detected in about 30% of the red cell samples fromH. lar, but all the samples were negative for Lea. All the gibbons tested had c(hr′) antigen but no other Rh antigens (D, C, E, and e) in their red cells. Some selected blood samples fromH. lar were also tested for some other blood group antigens and for the Gm and Inv factors. The Jka antigen was detected in all the red cell samples tested, but the S, s, U, K, k, and Fya antigens were not. In the tests of plasma with anti-Gm (1),H. lar could be divided into two groups, i.e., Gm(1)Gi and Gm(−1)Gi; Gm(2), Gm(4), and Inv(1) were absent in the species.