Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Personalized Peptide Arrays for Detection of HLA Alloantibodies in Organ Transplantation
Published on: September 6, 2017
Comparison of allele O sequences of the human and non-human primate ABO system
N Kermarrec1, F Roubinet, P A Apoil
1Laboratoire d'Immunohématologie, Etablissement de Transfusion Sanguine Pyrénées-Garonne, Toulouse, France.
Abstract:
Like humans, non-human primates express the antigens A and B of the ABO histoblood group system. In chimpanzees, only A and O types are found, while the types A, B, AB, and O are found in macaques. The sequences of exons 6 and 7 of two chimpanzee O alleles (Odel and O(x), two macaque species O alleles (rhesus monkey and crab-eating macaque), and sequences of exon 7 of two major chimpanzee A alleles (A1ch and A2ch) were established. The sequences of cDNAs corresponding to the chimpanzee and rhesus monkey O alleles were characterized from exon 1 to 7 and from exon 4 to 7, respectively. A comparison of our results with ABO gene sequences already published by others demonstrates that human and non-human primate O alleles are species-specific and result from independent silencing mutations. These observations reinforce the hypothesis that the maintenance of the ABO gene polymorphism in primates reflects convergent evolution more than transpecies inheritance of ancestor alleles.
Related Concept Videos
Multiple Allele Traits
Blood Types
ABO blood group
ABO antigens are glycoproteins encoded by genes present on...
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Synteny and Evolution
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
The ABO Blood Group
Antigens in the ABO Blood Group System
Antigens are substances that can trigger an immune response, leading to the production of antibodies. In the ABO blood group system,...
Blood Transfusion
Blood Transfusion Overview
A blood transfusion is a medical procedure used to replace blood lost due to injury, surgery, or to treat conditions such as anemia or cancer. During a transfusion, donor blood is...

