[Agglutination of the red blood cells after experimental glycolytic alteration]

The present findings proved Alcian Blue as hemagglutinin suitable for the specific demonstration of negatively charged sites of the cell surface. Erythrocytes with reduced surface charge because of previous trypsination or desialization exhibited decreased Alcian Blue agglutination. On the other hand, Alcian Blue agglutinates more intensely red blood cells with a high surface charge (reticulocytes). Findings with A antiserum or the lectins prepared from Lens culinaris and Helix pomatia indicate a masking of glycolipidic group A receptors by glycoproteins of the erythrocyte membrane. Effects of enzymatic degradation (neuraminidase, trpysin, pronase) combined with incubation in NaF-medium for the deprivation of ATP could be explained by a rearrangement of receptors resulting in altered agglutinability of erythrocytes.