Molecular genetic basis of porcine histo-blood group AO system

Histo-blood group A and B antigens are oligosaccharide antigens important in transfusion and transplantation medicine. The final steps in the synthesis of these antigens are catalyzed by glycosyltransferases encoded by the functional alleles at the ABO locus. Humans have 3 major alleles (A, B, and O), whereas pigs are known to have only A and O alleles. This paper reports the molecular genetic basis of the porcine AO system. The porcine A gene is homologous to the ABO genes in humans and other species. It encodes an α1 → 3N-acetyl-D-galactosaminyltransferase that synthesizes A antigens. Southern hybridization experiments using a porcine A gene coding-sequence probe failed to identify a corresponding homologous sequence in genomic DNA from group O pigs, thus suggesting a major deletion in the O gene. Therefore, inadvertent activation of a silent O gene seems unlikely in porcine organs xenotransplanted into humans.